Room Mates
by lostinhersong
Summary: When Michiru goes away to college, she thinks she is prepared for anything, until she meets her room mate.
1. Moving in

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the Sailor Moon characters, though I wish I did. I could be pretty well off right about now, wouldn't you agree?

She revved her engine at the horde of people slowly making their way across the road. So this was college? Idiots' walking around in large groups was a more proper term for it. She pushed the clutch in slightly and allowed the car to drift down a slight hill, only to have her progress hindered by more people.

"Really?!" she hissed through clenched teeth. She forced her lips to move upwards in what she thought would look like a smile, but rather came off appearing as a look of utter exasperation. One girl in the midst of the crowd looked at her with a smile, but the smile faltered quickly and she moved along with the rest of the pack.

"Try to make friends, Haruka. New school, new you," she mocked her mothers words. It never really bothered her that she had little in the way of friends. Yes, there were people she knew, but she could not truly consider them a friend. Oh, but it bothered her mother. Her mother was always so upset that she never needed anyone to talk to, that the only thing she needed was a good run or a long ride on her motorcycle. She sighed.

"Who needs friends mom?" she thought out loud as she pulled into a parking space.

The room was a lot smaller than she was accustomed to. As soon as she entered the prison-style door she noticed it: white. White walls, white floor, white heater. Too much white. Thankfully the closet, dresser, beds, desks, and sink were brown. Oh, and the steel-grey prison door broke up the white a little. But only a little.

There was one closet and one dresser. There were two beds in the room, as well as two desks. There was also only on medicine cabinet. Brilliant blue eyes slowly made their way around the room, taking in every inch of the small square. She obviously was suppose to share this cell with someone, the question was, who?

"Ah, Miss Kaioh, I see you have found your room already," her chauffeur, Hiroshi, arrived at the door, his arms laden with several teal suitcases. He brought them into the room and sat them down near the closet.

"It isn't much, is it Hiroshi? I mean…it isn't home," she glanced at the small window on the opposite end of the room, which got her an excellent view of the parking lot. She sighed. No trees, no birds, just cement, a fence, and people. Damn people. Just as she went to turn away from the window, a flicker of yellow caught her attention. It was a modern style sports car with the top down due to the hot weather. Michiru's eyes strayed to the person exiting the car. He, for she assumed it was a man, had sandy blonde hair, windswept and hanging in his eyes. He was wearing a sleeve-less navy blue shirt, and a pair of loose blue jeans. Michiru tore her gaze from the window. No man had ever caught her attention like that; she had always been more attracted towards more feminine qualities.

"Is that everything Hiroshi?" she questioned, for while she had been intrigued by the man with the yellow car, he had managed to go back to the car for a second load. He carefully set his cargo next to the other pile.

"There are a few more items, though; you may want to bring those in yourself. I know how you won't even allow your own mother to touch your violin," he smiled softly at her. She brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"I should have brought it up with during the first trip, I was so excited to see my…" she glanced around the whiteness. Hiroshi nodded apologetically.

"Miss Kaioh, it could be much worse, I assure you. I'm sure that once your room mate arrives, you two will find ways to spruce it up," he stated, as she walked past him into the hall. They walked down to the car in silence, Michiru biting her lower lip. What if her room mate didn't like her? What if they didn't get along? Did they send students home if they didn't get along with their room mates? Also, would she be able to do this.  
Sure, she had gone on tours, stayed in countless hotels, but she had never in her life lived with a stranger in such a close proximity. Hiroshi rested a hand on her shoulder, as if he sensed her concerns.

"If you and your room mate do not get along, they'll assign you a new one. If you weren't so dead set on getting the full "college" experience, your parents would have bought you a house nearby. Remember, you insisted that you would be fine," he said. He reached into the inner pocket of her blazer and pulled out an ice blue cell phone, tied with a red ribbon. Michiru's eyes lit up.

"How did you know I liked this phone?" she asked as she took it, and carefully undid the ribbon. She flipped it forward with her thumb, the keypad instantly visible as the screen flashed with life.

"I've been watching you hover over the display case for months. It's a welcome to college present from me. Now, will you be okay from here on out?" he inquired. Michiru nodded, and he enveloped her into a hug.

As she turned off the ignition, she slumped back into her seat. She leaned her head back against the head rest and allowed her eyes to fall closed. Before her lay the red brick building which she was to live in for the next several months. She groaned.

"Stupid scholarship. I didn't even want to come here," she slammed her palms against the steering wheel in frustration. The college she wanted to go to was a technical school, where they had a program designed specifically for students who wanted to race for a living. There was a vigorous selection process, which she had passed with ease. Then, a package arrived in the mail for her from Nippon University, in which a full scholarship was offered to her for track and field. Her mother threw away all of her paperwork for the tech school, and sent in all of the necessary paperwork to Nippon University without Haruka's knowledge. When the letter came telling Haruka that they were excited to see her at Nippon and on the nationally ranked track team, she was furious. She hadn't spoken to her mother since.

Finally, she grabbed the handle and forced herself to get out of the car. She stood there for several moments, allowing the sunlight to pour over her naked arms. Sighing, she walked to the trunk, opened it, looked inside, and shut it once more. She walked back to the driver side door and got back in. She turned the ignition on, and started to shift into gear, with her intention being to call Hiroshima Tech and explain to them what had happened. Her instincts told her not to go, but to stay here at Nippon University. She turned the car back off.

Michiru sat on the edge of her fully made bed. She had put away her clothes, made her bed, and had put everything in their proper place. Her room mate had still not shown up. She sighed, and reached for her violin case, which rested against her pillow. Suddenly, there was a key in the lock and the door swung open.

In the doorway stood Mr. Yellow Sports Car himself, though, he wasn't a him. Michiru felt her mouth fall open just a little.

"Hi, I'm Haruka, and I guess we're going to be roomies,"

A/N: Sorry for such a short first chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it none the less! Also, since the story is set in Japan, therefore the characters would be speaking fluent Japanese, no? With this being the case, I see no point in adding random Japanese words and honorifics at the end of names. This is coming to us as a translation.

Enjoy!


	2. Awkward Moments

Haruka stared at the ceiling. She had taken the top bunk and had given the shorter blue haired girl the bottom. Though, it was painful waking up in the mornings; she had a bad thing with slamming her head off of the ceiling. Her hands were folded behind her head as she found herself lost deep in thought.

The room was dark, Michiru having turned in hours before. Haruka could hear her soft breathing from the bed below her. It seemed that Michiru had no problem falling asleep, a trait Haruka envied. She never had slept much, she found her mind moved too fast and refused to slow down long enough for her to sleep. The blonde turned onto her side, staring at the wall. She had plastered the wall around her bed with pictures of fast cars and even faster motorcycles.

Michiru, on the other hand, had chosen to decorate the wall by her bed with a single poster. She chose a print of the painting Neptune's Horses. Sometimes, Michiru would sit and stare at it, as if a secret world lay inside it. Haruka never questioned her on why, though she desperately wanted to know the smaller girls thoughts on the painting.

They had shoved one desk to the opposite wall, which Haruka had then claimed for her use. She decorated the wall above her desk with a large poster of Felipe Massa, the Brazilian Formula 1 racer. She enjoyed his racing style, and despite him being from Brazil, she always cheered for him more so than even the Japanese drivers. The blonde's desk was chaos. Her laptop was open, papers were strewn all over the place, and her books were stacked precariously on the edge.

Michiru's desk was placed in the space between her bed and the door frame, in which it fit perfectly. She had elected a desktop style computer instead of the standard laptop the rest of the college students had brought. Above her desk she hung some of her own art. A drawing of a beautiful fountain with a young couple sitting in close contact, a whale jumping from the sea, and a painting of a rather handsome looking man, whom Michiru told Haruka was her father, whom had died when Michiru was very young.

"My mother remarried my step-father when I was about 7 years old. I was a daddy's girl until I realized that Papa was not my daddy," Haruka had not questioned her further.

It had taken them a while, but they had found a way to share the one closet and one dresser. Haruka got four of the six drawers; Michiru got the top two, for her cosmetics and undergarments. In exchange, Haruka got enough closet space to hang up her t-shirts and track uniform.

There was a very small bathroom connecting their room to another set of girls' room. The room that they were connected to was occupied by a Usagi Tsukino and Rei Hino. Neither Haruka nor Michiru had spoken to either of them much.

Haruka finally rolled over onto her stomach, and willed herself to sleep.

Michiru also lay awake, staring at the top bunk that seemed to hover above her. It had been a week since they had met, and Michiru still knew very little about the tall blonde. She knew that NU was not her first choice, and she had been forced to come here by her mother, and that she was planning to major in exercise physiology (she had informed Michiru that physical education was the only subject in school that hadn't bored her to tears). Whereas, she herself would be majoring in music, a full scholarship was given to her for taking part in the university's orchestra.

Michiru sighed softly. She wanted to know more about the blonde, about her life and dreams. Haruka's blue-green eyes were always so guarded, and she chose her words carefully when speaking to everyone. Michiru had asked if they could go to the nearest shopping center to buy things to make the room a little more them. Haruka agreed, and asked if Michiru wanted to drive.

"Oh," Michiru had stuttered. "I've never learned how to drive," Haruka's mouth fell open.

"Well, we'll have to remedy that, now won't we?" the blonde smirked. Her eyes lit up, and Michiru felt her knees go weak. Then, as quickly as her eyes came out of it, they were back to being so carefully concealed behind a look of indifference.

Michiru glanced at her alarm clock, which read 5:55am. She heard the bed move above her, and a pair of bare legs swung over the edge of the top bed. Haruka softly hopped down onto the cool floor and padded over to the bathroom.

"Why in the world does track practice have to be at 6:30 in the morning?" she asked her coach when she arrived at the track. The rest of the team had begun doing their warm-up laps when she jogged over.

"Because, Tenoh, this is the only time when everyone is able to be here. Now, go give me a mile warm-up," Coach Evans barked. He was a tall, very thin man. NU had hired him straight from a United States college, where he majored in Japanese. While he was in college he competed in the Olympics for the hurdles, but, as he told everyone, that was a long time ago.

Haruka began her warm-up slowly, gradually passing the rest of her team. This was when she thought well; when she could ease all of her emotions into the run. She pushed herself harder, all of the anger she had for her mom coming out now. She finished her warm-up a lap and a half before the rest of her team.

"Now what coach?" she questioned, barely out of breath. He looked at her puzzled, but none the less pleased with her eagerness. He told her to do a tier-style repeat pattern, two 400's, four 200's, and eight 100's, and then back down again. She started off with a renewed vigor. Perhaps this season wouldn't be too bad.

She put more into her repeats than into the warm-up. All of her emotions were placed behind them, causing her to run harder and in turn run faster. Sweat caused her hair to stick up in odd angles. Finally, she finished her final repeat, coach allowed her to leave. She took up her gym bag, and headed back to her room for another shower.

Michiru finally placed her own feet on the ground about an hour after Haruka had left. Going into the bathroom, she turned the shower on as hot as it would go, and stood under it, allowing the water to burn her troubles away. She could feel that her back was tense, a gift from the college's bed. She rotated her neck, hearing the pop of several vertebrae popping back into alignment. Her first class wasn't until 10am, and it was only 7:15, what was she suppose to do for almost three hours? She knew that Haruka had brought with her a Playstation 2, and had even told Michiru she was welcome to play it whenever she wanted. Maybe she would play a game for a little while, something she was never allowed to do while she lived under her mother's roof.

"Video games will make you lazy," her mother had once told her. Instead of video games, Michiru took to painting and practicing her violin.

"I'll do that instead," Michiru thought, turning the shower off. "I'll just go practice for a little while in one of the practice rooms in the music department," she took her aquamarine towel from its hook on the door, and dried herself off. With Haruka being off at track practice, she could get dressed in the room where there was a lot more elbow room.

She opened the door and stepped into the room. The window was cracked open, and the cool morning air caused her to shiver. She looked up at the clock, which flashed 8 o'clock. She walked over to the mirror, and began to brush her hair, the water droplets falling to her soft pale shoulders.

Then, a sound much like a key in a lock filled her ears. She reached for a towel,

but before she could wrap it around her, the door opened, revealing Haruka.

Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. There is a lot of skipping around in the time-line, and I apologize for that. Another short chapter, but I am hoping to start making them a little bit longer. Enjoy.


	3. Conversational Overload

A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry for not updating as quickly as I did with the last chapter. Life has finally caught up with me, and I'm trying my hardest to keep my sanity. Haha. Thanks to all who reviewed and added the story to your favorites (even if you didn't review, I take it as a silent compliment). Well, enough of my talking; hope you enjoy!

Haruka pushed herself up from the floor, holding her body rigid, using just her arms to perpetuate the movement needed for the exercise. Her form was impeccable, her back and legs perfectly straight, her eyes facing forward. She bent her arms, lowering herself to the floor once more, and exploded up.

"100," she said out loud as she kicked her feet from behind her, swinging her entire body until she was seated on her butt. She scooted across the floor slightly, crossing her arms across her chest, and began doing crunches. Just then there was a click as a key entered the lock, and Michiru opened the door. It had been a week since Haruka walked in unknowingly on the freshly showered and ever so naked Michiru, and they had yet to talk about it. Haruka had blushed furiously, and had to walk back out of the door. She would never admit it, but she had dreamt of the naked girl several times, at night and in her daydreams. It had taken a few days before she would even come into the room if Michiru was there, now, she had to keep her thoughts in check. Haruka blushed once more and pushed on through the pain in her abdomen.

"You work out too much," Michiru lightly scolded with a smile on her features. Her eyes twinkled with delight of seeing Haruka, who was hardly in the room. Haruka lay back against the floor, her stomach burning.

"Not true. I don't think I work out enough. Our first meet is next Saturday, so I have to be in top form," she grunted, before resuming her assault on her muscles. Michiru chuckled, and sat on her bed, watching the blonde.

"You're true to your name, you know," she said softly. Haruka stopped in mid-crunch, looking at the aqua-haired girl her eyes full of questions. Michiru and she had never really talked, that much was true, even though she found herself wanting their conversations to last for days. She tended to keep things inside, hidden away for only her to know. Michiru was the only one who had ever shown any interest in talking to her, or perhaps even be a friend.

"People have told me that, yes. I'm sorry if I come across as a bastard, it's just how I was raised. My father always told me that people would hurt you if you let them come to close," Haruka quickly stopped babbling, and bit her bottom lip. Michiru smiled apologetically.

"People can be ruthless, that much is true. My father also told me that people would hurt you, but he told me that if you hold people at arms length your entire life, you will live a miserable life," she looked out the window thoughtfully. "Have you ever had a real friend?" Michiru's deep blue eyes bore directly into Haruka's gray ones. Haruka looked away.

"No. No, I haven't. Not a real one. I've had friends, granted, they were my friend for all of the wrong reasons. I had to lie for them to like me. When I cut my hair and started behaving the way I wanted, they shunned me. None of them will speak to me now," she put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes. Why was this girl so easy to talk to?

"Me neither. Everyone wants to meet me because of the magazine articles about me being a violin 'prodigy'. They want to believe that they have met a living legend. I hate to tell them, I am nothing special, really," she spoke softly, her voice echoing in Haruka's ears.

"Sure you are!" Haruka erupted, sitting up suddenly. After her sudden outburst, she realized what she had said and clapped a hand over her mouth. Michiru giggled, which caused Haruka to turn scarlet. "Besides, I think you're pretty awesome, and I've never even read the magazine articles on your being a prodigy," she smirked, causing the shorter girl to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Why thank you, Ms. Tenoh. That is exactly what I needed to hear," she giggled once more, causing Haruka to smile. "Now, may I ask what you meant when you said that your so called friends shunned you when you began behaving the way you wanted?" Michiru questioned gently. She didn't want the conversation to be over, she was learning so much about the distant blonde. The racer bit her lip with apprehension.

"If I tell you, you'll go straight to the housing office and request a different room mate. I know you will. So I won't tell you," she said sternly, picking up a stray school book and flipping through it. Michiru tapped her lip with her index finger.

"So it is a secret? Okay, how about I make you a deal, I will tell you my biggest secret if you tell me why your friends shunned you," she gripped the edge of the bed, her eyes shining. Haruka looked at her, thoughts running through her mind.

"Deal. What could a girl like you possibly have to hide?" she prodded, a smirk planting itself on her face. Michiru had nothing on her, not one thing. What could such a perfect girl possibly have to hide? Michiru took a deep breath.

"A girl like me has everything to hide," she looked at Haruka, her eyes filled with confidence. "I'm a lesbian." Haruka's mouth fell open, not with disgust, but with awe.

"REALLY!? ME TOO!!!" she shrieked, her head reeling. Michiru giggled.

"Well, duh. Now, why did you're friends shun you?" Michiru smiled at Haruka's dumbstruck face. "Oh, come now, you didn't think you were _hiding_ anything from me, did you?"

"Um…well, kind of. Is it really that obvious?" Haruka scratched the back of her neck, feeling the tickle of her short blonde hair against her hand.

"Painfully so, I'm afraid. Move-in day, I saw you leaning against your car, and I was like 'Wow! He's cute.' I was taken aback, mainly because I have never been attracted to a man. I'm glad you're a woman though," as she said the last line her voice dropped almost into a whisper. Haruka could feel her face grow warm. "Now, is that the reason your friends shunned you? You being a big bad lesbian and all?" Haruka nodded slowly.

"Yeah. They found out I was dating this girl in high school, and they never said another word to me," she sighed quietly, and then looked up, her eyes fierce. "But, it didn't really bother me."

"Liar," Michiru growled. The blonde looked at her stubbornly. "I can tell that you are still hurt over then entire thing, don't hide from me. I want to be your friend," the violinist said carefully. The racer smiled softly.

"Thank you…oh, and can we address the whole me-walking-in-on-you-naked-thing?" Haruka began to shake. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything, but Michiru could only giggle once more.

"You were so embarrassed! I smiled the entire day thinking of how red your face had gotten," Michiru got off the bed and sat next to Haruka on the floor. "You were so cute that day, all awkward like. I don't think you've ever ran that fast at practice before," she grinned.

"You've been watching me practice?" Haruka question, looking quite confused.

"Oh, once or twice."

"Why?"

"No real reason, because I can really. Maybe you can teach me to run sometime?"

"That could be fun actually. You look like you'd have the form down already, I think you just need to run o build up your stamina. Maybe we can go for a run tomorrow after you get done with-" she never finished her sentence, because in mid-babble, Michiru had allowed their lips to connect for the first time.


	4. Too good to be true

Michiru's lips came closer to her own, pale fingers finding themselves tangled in the mess of blonde hair. Haruka could feel her lips part as the aqua-haired beauties tongue grazed her lower lip. The blonde brought her own hand up to the soft satin cheek, carefully stroking the beautiful flesh. She felt a quick pulse of passion shoot through her body, and she heard herself let out a slight moan. Michiru's brought her hand down to Haruka's exposed stomach, running her hands over the unyielding muscles.

"Are you a virgin?" Michiru breathed softly in her ear. Haruka nodded before bring her mouth to Michiru's collarbone. "Good." Michiru's hand precariously had been working its way lower, away from her stomach to another part of her body. Suddenly, Haruka wanted nothing more than to scream.

Haruka shot up in bed, slamming her head off of the low ceiling. She fell back against her pillow, clutching the tender spot with both of her hands. Her eyes were shut with pain, and she groaned in agony. Suddenly, the lamp flicked on, and Michiru's face was at the edge of her bed, looking at her concerned.

"Are you okay?" she questioned. It was the first thing she had said to Haruka since the morning the blonde walked in on her. Though, that had only been yesterday.

"Yeah. Just…"

"Had a nightmare?"

"Something like that," Haruka flushed scarlet. She looked past Michiru to her alarm clock, which read 5:55 a.m. "I would be better off just getting up now, wouldn't I?" she asked, but Michiru had already returned to her own bed. She sighed softly, and with a huge effort, she sat up, and jumped down to get a shower. As she turned on the water, scalding hot as always, she began to recall her dream.

"The whole conversation was a dream. It was just a figment of my imagination. Michiru being a lesbian is too good to be true, and her kissing me?! Fat chance," she shoved her head under the water, trying to force the dream out of her mind, or at least to a back corner somewhere.

She had allowed herself to fall for her room mate. Great, if Michiru found out she would go to the housing office for certain. She sighed, shutting off the water, and grabbed for her towel. She dried herself off, and began putting on her clothes. With just a pair of boxer briefs and white tank top, she reentered the room, startled that the light was still on. She glanced over to the bottom bunk, looking for any signs of life. She saw that Michiru had curled back up and had drifted off to sleep once more. Haruka smiled softly, and walked over to the dresser where she put on her track pants and a sleeve-less t-shirt. She lowered herself to the ground, having forgotten to do her push-ups and sit-ups before her shower.

She began her workout with her crunches, so as to not relive her dream anymore than she would have to. She heard a soft murmur from the bottom bunk, but thought nothing of it, and continued to push herself through the pain.

"You workout too much," Michiru said her speech slurred with sleep. Haruka topped dead and turned to face her. Michiru sat propped up on an elbow, peering through groggy eyes at the blonde.

"Not true. I don't think I work out enough. Our first meet is next Saturday, so I have to be in top form," Haruka had a sudden case of déjà vu. _This is weird_, she thought to herself. Michiru yawned.

"Why are you so distant? Haruka, it means distant? Correct?" Michiru asked through another yawn. Haruka blinked.

"Yes…Why are you so mature? Michiru, it means mature. Right?" Haruka lifted herself off of the floor, and began to gather her things for practice.

"You didn't answer my question, why are you so distant?" The aqua-haired woman questioned gently. Haruka turned to look at her.

"My father always told me that people will turn on you if you get too close to them. I never believed him until high school," she shoved her track spikes into her duffel bag.

"People can be ruthless, that much is true. Are you afraid to get close to me?" Haruka was beginning to get scared. Her questions were molded directly form her dream, not exact, but eerily similar. What if towards the end of the conversation, she tried to kiss the aqua-haired beauty? She shuddered to think about it.

"Yes. Yes I am. I'm afraid that once I open up to you, you will leave me like the rest of them. You'll know one thing about me, and you will judge me just like they did," Haruka spat the last phrase, grabbing her bag and opening the door.

"I won't judge you for being a lesbian, 'Ruka," Michiru shortened her name, suddenly, much like a friend would. Haruka shut the door, and looked at her room mate.

"You won't? I mean…How did you know?" she stood straighter, not wanting the smaller girl to sense weakness. "If you want a new room mate, I understand."

"On the contrary, I rather like you. You're a nice person. You're confident and yet very unconfident. It's all a clever mask you wear, isn't it? I'm not like other people you may have encountered in your past. You can trust me, and if you let me get close to you, I'll never turn on you. It seems neither of us had any luck with friends," she whispered. Haruka waited for her to announce that she was also a lesbian, to come sit next to her, and to silence her with a soft kiss, but nothing of the sort came from the girl on the beds mouth. Michiru lay back against the pillow, chuckling.

"You'll be late for practice if you chat with me any longer. You best get going," Haruka reopened the door, but looked back before she left.

"Michiru, about yesterday morning…" she started. Michiru held up a finger.

"It was an accident, nothing more. I wasn't troubled by it, and neither should you. I'm sure that I'll walk in on you looking at yourself naked in the mirror sometime before the year ends," Haruka could have sworn she saw Michiru wink, but it was hard to tell due to the shadow hiding the girls face. Haruka nodded and left the room.

"Someday, I'll tell you my own secret," Michiru rolled back over and waited for sleep to take her.

_A/N: Okay, so I updated twice in one night. I liked the last chapter, but as I thought about it, it was too soon. So, I fixed it with this chapter! I hope to update much more frequently, it's just that between classes, work, and the rest of the things that fill in the gaps, the muse doesn't visit as often. _

_Thanks to all of you who update on chapter 3 so quickly! I hope you enjoyed this new twist. _


	5. Hidden Feelings

The week flew by for Michiru, having studio sessions for her drawing class everyday at 7 in the evening, and having orchestra practice every night at 9. Her first orchestra concert would be held the following Friday evening at 8:30, and she wanted it to be her best performance to date. She had requested three tickets from her professor. Two of the tickets would be for her parents, whom she hoped would not forget, and the third was for a certain blonde who slept in the bed above her. She still longed to hear the blonde's tale of the ruthlessness of humans she had mentioned earlier that week. Haruka interested her, she was so quiet, so confident though on the inside she was so unsure of herself, and so ashamed of whom she was. Michiru continued working on the painting sitting on the easel before her.

"I'll tell her whenever I ask her to the concert. I'll tell her about this silly crush I have on her," she giggled to herself. Then, she sighed softly. "She is so gorgeous, talented, and intriguing. What on earth could she possibly see in someone such as me? I have no athletic ability. I don't see myself as pretty, let alone beautiful," she set down her paint brush and scratched her scalp with her nails. She began to clean up her art tools when she heard the door to the gallery open and shut softly. Someone strode across the tiled floor and stood several feet behind her.

"What is your favorite color?" the person asked, cautiously. Michiru recognized the voice immediately as the blonde racers. She turned to face her room mate, her lips lifting into a smile.

"Marine blue. Why such a question?" she questioned. Haruka kicked at the ground with her toes. Michiru went back to putting away her paints, when a hand caught her own. She could feel her heart beating quite loudly, she half expected Haruka to be able to hear it as well.

"No, paint a little while longer. We can talk as you work on your masterpiece. I asked because I am interested. I want to know more about you, so we can be friends," she talked quickly, almost as if she had rehearsed this for several days. Michiru picked up her brush once again.

"Okay, we can talk while I paint. Now, what is your favorite color?" Haruka pulled a chair up near to the easel in which the painting sat.

"Gold. Favorite food?"

"Sashimi. Yours?"

"Salad." Michiru made a face. "What?" Haruka asked, tilting her head slightly to the left, Michiru giggled.

"Why salad? There is nothing to a salad! No flavors or whatnot," Michiru stated, picking up paint with her brush.

"I've just always enjoyed them. You can never have the same salad twice, no matter how hard you try," she grinned. "And sashimi?! Everyone likes sashimi!" she chuckled.

"Not true! Name on person who likes sashimi,"

"You."

"Smart ass! Name someone else," Michiru scoffed, but Haruka had already laughed herself to tears. "What's so funny?" the aqua-haired girl demanded.

"You cussed! So not "mature" Michiru!"

"You are so immature, Haruka. So very immature, indeed," Michiru could feel her mouth contorting into a smile, though she didn't want it to. Then, she let out a snort of laughter, which sent Haruka into another fit of laughter.

"I can be immature, yes. It's called having fun. You should try it Miss Kaioh," Haruka stood up, putting her hands into her pockets, and turned towards the door.

"No, stay with me. We can talk a while longer," Michiru practically begged. The blonde smiled sadly.

"I wish, but I have track practice in 15 minutes. We'll talk tonight? Back in the room?" Without waiting for an answer, she had left. Michiru looked after her, and decided that she couldn't wait until that night. Before she was too far though, Michiru called after her:

"What's your favorite element?" she could hear jogging in the hall, and suddenly Haruka's head poked back through the door.

"Air. I love the wind. Sometimes, I wish to be the wind," she whispered and was gone once again.

She had been running faster than ever in the past week. Her coach, who knew she had all the talent in the world to be a great sprinter, had decided to try her out on the mid-distance side of the world. Haruka had chuckled when he had asked her to run the 800 at practice that day.

"Tenoh, do you think you can run a half-mile?" Coach Evans asked. Haruka chuckled.

"I think I can handle it. How fast do you want it?" Her smirk was confident.

"As fast as your little sprinter-heart will allow you," he said, as she took her mark. He blew his whistle and they were off. There were ten others who were strictly mid-distance to distance runners, and Haruka lead them the entire time. She pulled ahead in the final turn, kicking into high gear and allowed her instincts to take over. Her coach clicked the watch when she crossed the finish line, his mouth slightly open with awe.

"Well?" She breathed a little heavier than usual, her legs cramped from the sudden cease of movement.

"Two minutes flat. That's… That's unbelievable!" he stammered. She looked at him, her trademark smirk still playing on her lips.

"Give me time. I'll make it faster," she stated simply as she began putting away her things into her gym bag. He dismissed her and began conducting the hurdler's practice as she walked quietly back to her dorm. Her mind turned towards the conversation she had had before in the art building, the jokes they had laughed about before life caught up with her. Haruka sighed. Friends would be better than nothing at all, she reasoned to herself.

"Haruka!" someone called from across the quad. Her head shot up, seeing a set of long blonde pigtails, not long curly aqua hair. The girl practically skipped over to her.

"Hi, Usagi. What's going on?" Haruka asked her voice steady. The smaller girls eyes shone with enthusiasm at the mention of her name,

"So, Rei and I wanted to know if you would possibly want to go out with us tonight?" She said it all very quickly, the blonde only catching the tail end of it.

"Where?"

"Well, maybe the arcade? The movies? Somewhere?" Usagi seemed so eager, so much like a high school girl with a crush. Haruka let out a sigh.

"Sure, Usagi. I'll go with you guys," she regretted it as soon as she had said the words. The younger girl jumped up in the air, letting out what Haruka presumed was a squeal of delight.

"GREAT! We'll be leaving at 6, okay?"

"Sure, Usagi," and she began walking, once more, to her room, leaving the blonde haired girl behind her, still squealing with joy.

Michiru waited in the room for Haruka to return, wanting their conversation to continue. She wanted to ask her so many questions, because so many thoughts had been building up in her mind. Tonight, she had decided, she would ask the tall blonde to attend her concert and tell her exactly how she had been feeling as of late.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the sound of the blonde's key enter the lock. The door swung open, revealing a tired blonde. She dropped her bag by the closet and walked into the bathroom. There was a click as the door locked and Michiru heard the shower turn on.

"She didn't even say hi," Michiru could feel the disappointment spreading through her entire body, like a poison. She waited quietly, sitting Indian style on her bed, flipping through an art book. Finally, the shower stopped, causing Michiru to perk up. After several moments, the door finally opened, revealing a towel clad Haruka. Her eyes bulged as she saw Michiru on the bed, quickly looking down at her wet skin.

"When did you get here!" she gasped, pulling the towel closer to herself. Michiru dropped her eyes to the carpet.

"I've been here. I waited for you to get back so we could continue our conversation from earlier. I have a studio session in an hour, so I figured we could talk until then?" she questioned gently. Haruka's grasp on the towel lessened, and she fell forward in a slight slump.

"I…I am actually going out tonight," she sighed, looking at the girl in front of her. Michiru felt her heart stop. "Usagi invited me to the movies or something like that," she shifted through the clothes in her closet. Michiru wanted so badly to shout, to tell her not to go. She bit her tongue. Haruka glanced back at her. "I could ask if you could come along?"

"No. I'm busy tonight anyway," Michiru whispered as Haruka disappeared back into the bathroom to dress. A few moments later she reappeared clad in blue jeans and a white button up shirt. Michiru had never seen her look so gorgeous. The blonde slipped on her shoes and then opened the door.

"I'm sorry. Maybe we can talk when I get back?" She smiled sadly before shutting the door. Michiru sat there for several seconds before opening her top desk drawer, and rummaged around. Then, she began ripping up one of the three tickets to her orchestra concert.


	6. Bearing it All

_A/N: College sucks. That's all I have to say on the subject. Haha. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It's comforting to know that a few people enjoy this story. I'm going to try and update more often, but with the end of the semester approaching, my professors think it fitting to pile, if possible, even more work on our shoulders. Thank you all for being so patient with me on this, and thanks for the words of support. Well, enough of my rambling. I hope you all enjoy chapter 6!_

She endured the movies with the two younger girls. They were always picking on each other, Rei doing most of the name calling and such, which caused Usagi to pout and sometimes even tear up. All Haruka could do was sigh, and wait for the evening to be over. Usagi had to have a hold of her arm the entire night, gripping it like there was no tomorrow. Now, usually the blonde would have enjoyed the attention, but as of recently she wanted the attention of only one person of the female persuasion.

When Rei and Usagi were not fighting, they were giggling like grade school girls about everything. The sounds of their voices began to drive Haruka insane, drilling into her ears like a sick form of Chinese water torture. All she wanted was for the night to be over. Though, when she thought the horror would end, Rei suggested that they all go to the arcade, which Usagi enthusiastically agreed to. Haruka lost the vote two to one, so she was stuck a little while longer with the two very annoying girls. She beat them both on the Formula 1 racing game several times each before they said it was time to go home. She could have sworn she felt her heart skip a beat.

By the time she arrived back to the dorm it was nearly midnight, and she knew that Michiru would be asleep by that time. Their conversation from earlier in the day would have to continue the nest day. Haruka felt sick as she recalled the look that Michiru gave her before she left. The look was of pure inner torture, and the blonde could not for the life of her figure out why Michiru would give her such a look.

She slid her key into the lock as she looked at their door. Michiru had made them door tags their second week their. She had fashioned her own to look like a dolphin, her name written across it in silver. Haruka's on the other hand, was fashioned to look like a wolf howling, her own name written in a shimmering gold.

_"Why a wolf?" she questioned while Michiru hung the door tags on their door. Michiru looked back at her, smiling. _

_"Because, wolves are free. They run with the wind, and never listen to a single soul. They choose their own destiny," she put a small piece of tape on the navy blue dolphin and hung it up next to the black wolf._

_"The dolphin?" she questioned once more. Michiru smoothed the piece of tape out with her thumb, and then turned to look at her._

_"The dolphin could be considered the king of the sea. They are so smart, and they are beautiful. Free as the waves that they frolic in," she whispered, and their conversation ended as Michiru disappeared down the hallway. _

Haruka lifted her hand and ran it across the jet black wolf, feeling the grooves in the paper where Michiru had pressed hard with her pencil. Before opening the door, she pressed her lips against two of her fingers and then placed them against the dolphin.

"I know I'll never be able to tell you, but…" she stopped, and shook her head. She didn't finish her thought, and she wouldn't allow herself to.

Michiru had gone to both her studio session and her orchestra practice. Then, she had called her parents, to see if they could pencil in her concert. Of course, they could not. Her step-father had a business meeting in America that weekend, and he would be flying out the night of her concert. Of course, her mother just had to go with him. Michiru sighed in frustration as they babbled on and on. They asked her how school was going, how her and her roommate got along, and if she had found a boyfriend. She told them about her classes, about hoe great a person Haruka was, and that no, she had not found a boyfriend. She shuddered at the thought. Her mom began ranting about how a girl as beautiful as her would have to have the schools boys in an uproar. She admitted that she had had a few invitations, but none of them to her liking. Her mom stopped talking.

"Michiru, you do remember the talk we had the night we caught you and your friend from school?" her mom's voice grew stern. Michiru recalled the night. Her mom had walked in to see her and her friend Amber, an exchange student from America half naked and kissing. Amber was never allowed back into her home, and Michiru was told that there would be nothing like that in the family. Michiru had denied having any such feelings for members of her sex, but she had been lying. The blonde's face came into her mind, and she unwillingly smiled.

"Michiru!" her mom snapped from the other end. Michiru started a little, her smile faltering.

"Yes Mama. I remember our talk. I understood it then and I understand it now. Now, I hope you both have a pleasant trip. I'll just call Hiroshi and ask if her would like to come," she hung up before her mother could reply. She threw her phone onto her pillow, allowing a heavy sigh to escape from her chest. The pent up feelings had to go somewhere at this point, anywhere! She glanced at the clock, which read 12:13 A.M.

"I'll go to a practice room. It's too late to play here," she muttered as she began packing up her items. She picked up her violin and walked to the door. Her hand was barely on the doorknob when she could hear a rustling.

"I know I'll never be able to tell you…," she heard the blonde murmur. Michiru could feel her lip twitch. Was she talking to that pig-tailed idiot from next door? Most likely. Haruka seemed to be a little womanizer. Michiru swung the door open to a very startled, and very alone blonde. They looked at each other, Haruka's eyes looking shocked, whereas Michiru's were hard as stone.

"See you're back," Michiru said, her voice like velvet ice. Haruka's shocked gaze fell from her face. She put on a smile.

"Yeah. Want to talk now? I'm sorry I am so late," she looked sincere enough, but Michiru was already past her breaking point.

"I'm busy. I have to go practice for the concert I have this Friday. Sorry. No rain checks," she sneered, her eyes boiling over with jealousy. Haruka looked up.

"A concert? I love concerts. Do I have to put in a reservation to go? Or can I just show up and tell them that I'm friends with the beautiful Miss Kaioh?" she took a step closer to Michiru, her flirting a little unrefined.

"Tickets are all sold out. Sorry. I was going to ask you, but since you already had plans tonight, I couldn't," her voice began to resemble her mothers. Distant, cold, and hurtful. She wanted to stop, but something inside wouldn't let her. She took a step away from the blonde. Haruka's trademark smirk faltered, and fell from her face completely.

"Are you upset about me going out tonight? Why didn't you ask me not to go? I would have welcomed any excuse not to. They bugged the hell out of me," Haruka laughed.

"Why didn't you tell her no yourself?"

"Well, she is kind of cute. Annoying as all hell, but cute," Haruka smiled. Michiru rolled her eyes and began to walk away. "Wait!"

"I was going to tell you everything tonight! I was going to give you a ticket to my concert, ask you to go, and tell you about how I think I'm in love with you!" she practically screamed, then after realizing what she said, she clamped her hands over her mouth and began to run the opposite direction.

"Michiru! WAIT!" she began to chase the smaller girl, but the aqua haired girl was no where to be seen. Haruka fell to her knees, cradling her face in her hands. "I'm pretty sure that I'm in love with you too," she whispered to no one, though, hidden in shadows of an abandoned janitors closet, Michiru began to silently cry.


	7. Running Away

_A/N: Thank you once again for the kind words everyone gave me. It feels simply amazing to hear such praises about my writing. I will continue to update as frequently as I can, but sometimes I find that life is moving too fast, and it is nearly impossible to catch up. Once more, thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the seventh chapter of Room Mates._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. Sadly enough. Also, I do not own any lyrics featured in this chapter. Thank you High and Mighty Color for unknowingly allowing me to borrow them. The song is "Ichirin no Hana". Enjoy._

She shoved the clutch to the floor, and slammed the gear shit into fifth gear. She allowed her hand rest on the stick, her nails digging into the leather. Her eyes narrowed as she watching the needle drift towards the tiny dash meaning she was going 120 km/hr. Her radio was turned up as loud as it could possibly go, the bass threatening to pound her car to pieces. Haruka sang along, practically screaming. She pushed the car faster still, the engine roaring in a simple protest before the blonde shifted into sixth gear. The needle was nearing 140.

Kimi wa kimi dake shika inai yo (You are the only "you")

Kawari nante hoka ni inainda (There is no such thing as your replacement)

Karenai de ichirin no hana (Don't wilt away, single flower)

She tapped the brake, allowing the car to swing around a hair pin curve, she then restarted her assault on the road. Her head was full of thoughts, though her main one was to get away from that school. Far away.

Hikari ga matomo ni sashikomanai (You are like a flower)

Kimi wa maru de hikage ni saita hana no you (That bloomed in a dark shadow)

Nozonda hazu jyanakatta basho ni (Even though you're in a place you didn't wish to be,)

Ne wo harasete ugokezu ni irunda ne (You can't move because of your roots)

Memories of the past three months flooded into her mind. She shook her head, and tried to turn the radio up even louder. She wanted them gone, these memories. The blonde's eyes shut tight, trying to force them away. They clung to her, forcing her to see the aqua haired beauty's smile, hear her laugh, and feel her pain.

Tojikaketa kimochi haki daseba (Just spit out your closed-up feelings)

She began gearing down, her speed gradually waning until she was stopped along the road on some abandoned highway. The music still blared away, though the blonde had given up drowning away her thoughts by it. The words had begun to sink in.

Itami mo kurushimi mo subete wo uketomeru yo (I'll accept all your pain and suffering)

Dakara nakanai de (So please don't cry)

Waratte ite ichirin no hana (Please smile, single flower)

_"What on earth is this racket?" Haruka asked one day after track practice. She had walked into the room to the blaring of classical music. Michiru grinned. _

_"Mozart. Duh," she stuck her tongue out. Haruka returned the favor. She then pulled out a solid black Ipod._

_"See this, 160 GB of pure amazing," she strode over to her desk and picked up her speakers, plugging them into the device. Instantly, hard guitar riffs and drums began emitting from the tiny speaker. Michiru covered her ears._

_"What is this!?" she shouted. Haruka chuckled, and turned it up._

Ima ni mo karete shimai sou na (I wanted to see your innocent figure)

Kimi no mujyaki na sugata ga mou ichido mitakute (That looked as if it were about to wilt, one more time)

Kimi no chikara ni naritainda (I want to become your strength)

_"This? This is High and Mighty Color. Pretty good, don't you think?" she turned the volume down a little. "Much better than that classical junk you've been listening to,"_

_"Mozart is not junk!" Michiru looked downright pissed, causing the blonde to laugh. _

_"I never said he was. I enjoy classical music too, ma cherie. It's just that I like something a little harder once in a while too."_

Tatoe kimi igai no subete no hito wo (Even if there comes a time)

Teki ni mawasu toki ga kite mo (When the whole world becomes our enemy)

Kimi no koto mamori nuku kara (I'll protect you.)

_"'Ruka, this is beyond hard. This is screaming!" Michiru had uncovered her ears, and seemed to actually enjoy the song. Her arguing seemed to be there only to rile Haruka, which it wasn't._

_"All the better to run too. Also, when I am upset, I go for a long drive, blaring this kind of stuff. Trying new things once in a while isn't bad, Michi," she shut off the music. Michiru glanced at her._

_"You think I can borrow your Ipod? All I have on mine is classical stuff?" she almost didn't ask, it looked like a very expensive piece of equipment. Haruka handed it to her. _

_"Now, how else can I negatively influence you?" She looked around the room, her eyes settling on her Playstation. "Ever play DDR?"_

_"Dance Dance Revolution? No. I was never allowed to play video games…" she ended it there. Haruka gaped. _

_"NEVER!?" Michiru shook her head. "Well, we'll fix that, now won't we?! I'll screw with your taste in music, now I shall get you addicted to video games. Next… HENTAI!" She threw her hands up in a dramatic gesture. _

_"NO! NOT THAT!" Michiru threw a hand over her mouth, mostly to hide her giggle. _

_"Yes, that. After words, maybe I can show you a thing or two about how they did the things they did in the…" she trailed off, her _

_eyes widening. Michiru giggled. "Er…I didn't mean it that way," she stuttered, turning beat red. Michiru giggled harder. "WHAT!?"_

_"You, show me a thing or two? Please, I have experience," Michiru flipped some of her hair over her shoulder. Haruka's mouth fell open._

Kimi wa kimi dake shika inai yo (You are the only "you")

Ima made mo kore kara saki ni mo (Till now and from now on)

Tatoe kimi igai no subete no hito wo (Even if there comes a time)

Teki ni mawasu toki ga kite mo (When the whole world becomes our enemy)

Kimi no koto mamori nuku kara (I'll protect you)

Makenai de ichirin no hana (So don't give up, single flower)

She pulled herself reluctantly from her memory. She caught a glimpse of something in the corner of her eye. She looked in the rearview mirror, her backseat empty, though she could have swore she saw something back there a few seconds ago. She shrugged and turned the ignition of her car, allowing the engine to roar to life and settle into a idle purr. She hit the back button on the song once again, letting the hard rock hit her. She turned down the volume, and shifted her car into reverse.

"I won't run away anymore, Michiru," she said simply as she drove back towards the school, and Michiru.

(YOU SHOULD NOTICE THAT THERE IS NO OTHER

YOU SHOULD NOTICE THAT THERE IS NO NEXT TIME

YOU SHOULD NOTICE THAT THERE IS NO OTHER

YOU SHOULD NOTICE THAT THERE IS NO NEXT...

TIME NOTICE THAT YOU SHOULD NOTICE THAT

NOTICE THAT THERE'S NO OTHER)


	8. This is My Happy Ending?

_**Authors Note: Moving into an apartment sucks, moving into an apartment with no internet is even worse! My updates will be scattered, and I apologize for that. I am still working two jobs this summer, and the internet company is of course dragging their feet. I will hopefully (crosses fingers) be starting another story while attempting to finish this one as well, so keep your eyes open! Well, enough of my mindless ramblings, enjoy chapter 8 of Room Mates. **_

Michiru came out of the closet she had hid in, her eyes red from crying and her hair was tangled from the brooms and mops she had been smashed up against. She went back to the room she shared with the girl she was in love with and unlocked the door. The window was wide open, the cool night breeze causing papers to flutter around the abandoned room. The yellow sports car that normally occupied the space right outside of the window was missing. Michiru could feel tears well up in her eyes once more.

"She's gone," she managed to say before the tears began to drown her cheeks. She went over to her purse, a large bag with brightly colored birds all over it that Haruka had bought for her one day, and fished around for her phone. She finally found it; the ice blue phone blazed to life as she drug her finger across the buttons. She went to her contacts and began to scroll through them, finally reaching the H's. She stopped at Haruka's name, wanting nothing more than to press dial and to hear the tom-boys husky voice drift across the phone to her. She bit her lip and clicked down one more time, the name reading Hiroshi. She pressed dial.

"Hiroshi, can you come get me? Yes, yes I'm fine. I just don't think I want to go to school here anymore. Yes... I know... I know… I just don't think I can do it," she paused as the old man spoke. His voice was calming; he was always the one she would go to when she was upset. "Yes, Hiroshi. Of course… Yes, I'm sure I am fine… Yes, she hurt me… No, she doesn't love me…How do I know? I just do…. Can we leave it at that? Please, can you come get me for the weekend? I promise to rethink my leaving school plan. Yes….Okay, I'll see you soon," she hung up the phone, and flopped on her bed. She looked over at her desk. She had a framed picture of her and Haruka after one of the racer's track meets. Haruka was gleaming in the sun, her tanned armed wrapped around Michiru's slender shoulders. They were both smiling. Michiru sat up, taking the picture in her hands. She had never noticed how tightly Haruka had wrapped her arm around her shoulders, almost possessive like. The blondes gray eyes were flashing with her trade-mark over-confident look. Michiru felt her lips turn upwards in a smile, she ran her fingers across the picture.

"Her eyes aren't guarded. She's being herself right here," Michiru put the picture back on her desk and went over to her dresser to begin packing for the weekend. She wasn't running away, she just needed to get away from the campus for a couple of days. She needed away from the hospital room she lived in, the fine arts building where she practically lived, and the like. She just needed a few days away from the whole mess, and a few days away from the blonde haired girl who had stolen her heart.

It would be at least forty-five minutes before Hiroshi would be there, and she hoped that wherever her room mate had ventured off to, she would stay there until Michiru was on her way home. She couldn't face her right now. Besides, she was probably out somewhere with Usagi, that bitch.

She giggled in pure frustration and looked up at the ceiling. She had never been jealous of someone. Never. She had never felt so much hate for someone who had done absolutely nothing to her own person. She hated that girl for inviting her Haruka on a date. Yes, Haruka was hers. No one could convince her otherwise.

She sat back down on the edge of her bed, her phone a few feet away from her. It began to vibrate and ring. Her ring tone was "Ichirin no Hana" by High and Mighty Color. Haruka had got her stuck on the band after she insisted that Michiru get away from classical music. The violinist downloaded the song for her phone that day. It was her song, as she saw it. She picked it up and slid it open.

"Hello?" she said politely. She figured it Hiroshi, telling her that he would be there momentarily.

"Michi! I'm so glad you answered your phone! I need to talk to you!" Haruka began. Michiru slid the phone close in a panic. Michiru then stared at the phone in complete shock.

"Did I just hang up on her?!" she shouted to herself. She slid the phone forward in a flash, and dialed the blonde's number.

"Hi, you've reached Haruka. Leave me a message. Maybe, if you're lucky, I'll return the favor. BEEP." Michiru slid the phone shut once more.

"Great! She's avoiding me again," she threw the phone against her pillow. Then, she screamed.

Haruka snapped her own phone shut, and provided a little more pressure on her gas pedal. She sighed.

"I can't believe she just hung up on me. I'll try again, I suppose," she pressed redial and put the slim phone against her ear.

"Hello. You've reached Michiru. I'm most likely in rehearsal right now, but rest assured that I will return your call as soon as I can! Thank you! BEEP." The blonde growled in frustration and shut the phone.

"I love knowing that girls I like hang up on me and avoid me. Whatever to you too, Michiru," she threw her phone into the seat beside her. "Ichirin no Hana" began to blare from the small device. Michiru.

"Hello? Hello?" Haruka questioned. The line went dead. She snapped the phone shut. "Fine. Be that way." She growled in frustration once again and urged her car faster. She had been driving for a few hours, her mind very clear at this point in time. She had turned around miles before, heading back to the school. She flipped open her phone once again and pressed redial. Her heart threatened to rip itself from her chest as she waited for the smaller girl to pick up the phone.

"'Ruka?" Michiru inquired. The blonde felt herself relax, and her lips curl into a smile.

"Michiru! I am so sorry. I'm sorry for running, I'm sorry for going to the movies with her…Please, allow me to explain myself?" She didn't want to pour her own heart over the phone. She wanted to go back to the room, scoop Michiru into her arms and kiss her passionately, telling her everything that she had thought she would have to keep locked away.

"I'm going home for the weekend, 'Ruka. Hiroshi is already on his way. I can't wait for you to get back from wherever you ran to. I understand if you don't feel the same way about me…" her voice drifted off. Haruka flipped on her turn signal, and turned onto campus.

"Just wait a while longer? Please. We have to talk. I have so much I need to tell you. I don't want to hide anything from you anymore," she pulled into a parking space at the front of the building, and got out of her car. Sitting on the cement bench outside of their residence hall was none other than Michiru. A tiny packed bag was sitting beside her. Her eyes were red from crying. Haruka wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and kiss her tears away. Instead, she walked up to her, and flipped her phone shut.

"I do feel the same way, Miss Kaioh. I've been in love with you since the first time I laid eyes on you. I've wanted nothing more than to hold you in my arms for the past three months," she sat down on the other end of the bench. Michiru turned towards her.

"Why didn't you just tell me?

"I was so sure that you wouldn't be interested in me that way. Why should the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on…be interested in women? It seemed ludicrous to me. I had a dream that you told me that you were a…" Michiru didn't allow her to finish. Haruka's head spun as Michiru wrapped her frail arms around the tanned neck of the racer.

"Michiru!" her mothers shrill voice filled the air. Michiru shot away from Haruka, wiping her mouth quickly with her sleeve. She glanced over at what Haruka was wearing, hoping the blonde still wore the white button up that concealed her gender. She wasn't. During her drive, Haruka must have taken off the white shirt, because she was just clad in a gray tank top, which did nothing to conceal that fact that she was a woman.

"Mama!" Michiru tried to sound excited, hoping her mother had not seen her kiss with Haruka. Nothing seemed to be going her way.

"I thought we beat it out of you when we caught you with Amber! Now, you moved on to this dyke!" Haruka stood up, her fist clenched beside her.

"Excuse me?!" Michiru grabbed her arms.

"Haruka, don't. She isn't worth it," Michiru wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist.

"Michiru, you are going to have to choose. Her or your inheritance! Think about it long and hard. Hiroshi, let's leave these two ditch-lickers here," she turned on her heel and got back into the sleek black limousine. Hiroshi looked at Michiru forlornly, his eyes saying how sorry he was. Michiru hung her head in shame as he got back into the car.


	9. This Love, This Hate

_Author's note: So…It's an extremely short chapter. Shorter than the rest. I fell in love with this song by Hollywood Undead, and it fit Haruka so very well… Anyhow…I have internet at my apartment now! –a chorus of angels sing in the background- But…if you are an avid Haruka fan…check out the song, and see if you can get the connection too. Maybe I just over analyze things…? Well, enjoy this extremely short, not really anything but a heartbreaking chapter!_

_Disclaimer: Thanks to Hollywood Undead for lending me the lyrics to This Love, This Hate. (Go listen to it…doooo itttt)_

She cringed as Michiru cried silently into her chest. Though, the tears were from a mixture of joy and desperation. They had made it back to the room they called home, and had sat on Michiru's bed before she allowed her tears to fall. Haruka kissed the top of the violinists head, smoothing her hair softly, trying her hardest to comfort her.

"No matter how I feel…you're inheritance is much more important, my love…" she muttered, Michiru crushing their bodies closer together. After an hour of holding her, the blonde could hear the girls soft breathing, signaling her retreat into the world of dreams. Haruka carefully laid the girl in her bed, pulling the aquamarine comforter around her shoulders. As she went to turn away, a small hand wrapped around her wrist.

"'Ruka…lay with me, please? Don't leave me alone…" Michiru whispered, the sleep slurring her speech. Haruka smiled softly.

"You should know by now that I sleep in my underwear…" her smile was replaced by her trademark smirk. Michiru smiled in her sleep.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get stripping," she murmured before falling back into her slumber. Haruka smiled again, laying a light kiss against the girls temple, before stripping out of her pants and socks quickly, crawling into the tiny bed, and wrapping her arms around the aqua-haired violinist. Listening to the steady breathing of Michiru, Haruka found herself falling into the deepest sleep she had had in years.

A few weeks passed, and the end of the semester was fast approaching. Michiru and her were known around campus officially. As it were, it would be the talk of the town if the schools rising track star was officially dating the country's finest violinist. They were inseparable, except when they had practice. Haruka had collapsed the beds, sleeping with Michiru nightly, cuddling so close that a single ray of light couldn't get through. Neither of them spoke of the artist's mother, or her threat. Though, the threat still was always on Haruka's mind. The blonde had to do something, as much as it would kill her, she knew that whatever Michiru's father had left her, would be worth more to the girl than herself.

In her desk laid a transfer paper to Hiroshima Tech, only her signature required in order to leave Nippon and to go chasing after her dream. She had been thinking of going for a while, wanting to smell the asphalt of the track, the sound of the motors revving. She looked over, Michiru typing away on her desktop. How could she leave her now?

Michiru sighed, no word from her mother since the dreadful woman had seen her kissing Haruka. She glanced over her shoulder at the girl sitting at her desk, she smiled to herself, and turned back to her report. Just as she turned, Haruka smashed the paper in her fist, mumbling.

"Ruka?" the blonde's head shot up.

"Yes, Michiru?" she had risen from her chair, slamming her fist on the desk, slipping the paper back into the drawer.

"I was just wondering if you were okay…"

"Just, something on my mind," she walked over, kissing Michiru's hair. The violinist frowned, but leaned into the kiss anyhow, nodding. She stood up, wrapping her arms around Haruka's slim waist.

"I don't want to go to practice tonight…I want to stay here and…" she grinned, sneaking her hands under the blonde's white t-shirt, which earned her a shudder. She leaned up, dragging her lips across the racers collarbone, which she received a moan for. Softly, two muscular arms pushed her away.

"You have practice…I have practice…We can't…" she gave her lover a stern look, before melting in the girls eyes, once again succumbing to the girl's tempting flesh. After several minutes of passionate kissing, and heavy petting, they broke apart, heading to their perspective practices. Before she left, the blonde went to her desk, picking up the transfer sheet and signed her name. "This is for you, Michiru…I can't…I won't be the reason your family hates you," she whispered, tucking the paper into her bag and heading towards the registrars office.

The end of the semester came, classes ending and students moving home for the break. Haruka had left earlier in the week, her mother calling her for some emergency. Michiru still called her each night, talking to her until her eyes fell closed. The blonde had taken all of her things, even though they were allowed to leave most of their things there if they so chose. On the blonde's desk, however, laid a brown envelope, which she had instructed Michiru to not open until she was well on her way home.

Hiroshi pulled up in the limo, hopping out to open the door for his charge. She carefully seated herself in the backseat, holding the envelope in her lap. With shaky hands she opened the package, which was actually heavier than she previously expected. Inside, Michiru found the blonde's large, bulky MP3 player. The girl took the headphones, placing them in her ears. She turned it on, the background a picture of the two of them after Michiru's violin recital. She dug into the envelope again, pulling out a large note. The first sentence said "Play the playlist entitled "Michiru, and then finish reading the letter." She flipped to the playlists, and pressed the one labeled with her name. She smiled as Haruka's eccentric music came through the headphones. It was a mixture between rock and rap, in English none the less. Michiru understood the words, but it took her several listens to get the entire song. Though, one patch of lyrics stood out the most.

…_Our names will echo through the stars  
Every starts got its ending  
Even when we've learn to rise above it all_

These lies are leading me astray  
It's to much for me to stay  
I don't wanna live this destiny  
It goes on endlessly  
I see you so please stay strong  
I'll sing you one last song and then I'm gone  
I don't wanna live this destiny  
It goes on endlessly…

The words struck her odd, especially coming from Haruka. She read the letter a bit more.

_Michiru-san, _

I want you to turn on the MP3, go to the playlists, find the one with your name and play it. The first song is "This Love, This Hate" by an American band, Hollywood Undead. It is one of my favorite songs. Our names will echo through the stars, my love…but I…" There was four lines crossed out angrily. "_I won't be coming back next semester. Like the song says…"I see you, so please be strong"… I am leaving you my Zune. So I'll be with you always. I…I won't be the reason your family hates you. I love you too much to do that. We are meant to be, and soon…You will find me once again. Never forget me…"_

_Love, eternally – Haruka_

The rest of the letter were the lyrics in Japanese to the rest of the songs that were in the playlist developed especially for her. She felt the tears begin with the blondes farewell, and they didn't end until she ran to her bedroom at home, sobbing into a large teal body pillow.

_I'll sing you one last song and then I'm gone…_


	10. Insomnia

_Author's Note: The muse is a fickle thing, isn't it? You find inspiration in the strangest places. Sometimes, she will leave you along for days, weeks, months, and sometimes years. Other times, she is inspires you within hours. Anyhow, thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. I promise this one will be happier…Never mind, I can't promise that._

_Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Sailor Moon, Haruka/Michiru, nothing involving them. I wish I did…-cries- High and Mighty Color…another thank you for letting me borrow your lyrics!_

The violinist sobbed for days, not leaving her room for anything other than the occasional trip to the bathroom. Hiroshi, worried about his charge brought her three meals a day, which she wouldn't touch. He saw that she laid in the fetal position almost twenty-four hours a day, clutching that teal body pillow, with a pair of headphones in her ears. She had some weight, her skin turning ghostly pale from the lack of nutrients. On the fifth day of her slow form of suicide, Hiroshi brought in a dozen roses with her lunch. She looked over at him, her face blotchy from the tears she had shed. He smiled sadly and bowed, walking from the room. She stood, wrapping herself in a small quilt and picking up the roses, seeing a card. She walked back over to her bed, and set the roses on the bedside table. With shaking fingers, she picked up the card. More tears began to fall as she read the blondes tiny scribble:

"_I certainly won't sleep tonight, I'll remember what happened that day  
My world disappears, leaving my heart aching_"

All my love - Haruka

Michiru stepped into her teal slippers, pulling her hair into a pony tale at the base of her neck, holding it back with a navy blue ribbon. She peered into the vanity that sat before her. Her face was red and puffy, her eyes blood shot. She had never cried so hard in her life, not even when her father had died. But, seeing the roses, seeing Haruka's handwriting, she knew that her love still cared, and she knew that she would see her again.

Michiru toyed with the ring that sat on her ring finger, her tears ceasing to fall.

A week earlier…

Haruka's mother called her the eve of her final exam, screaming at her for transferring. It appeared that Hiroshima Tech had called the house and spoke to Azumi Tenoh, which wasn't a good thing.

"Get home as soon as your exams are done! You get home, and you explain yourself!" The yelling had continued for an hour, the blonde just taking it all in stride.

"Mother, I have an explanation. I have to leave this school…not for me…but someone else…Can I please explain then?" Her mother yelled at her for several more minutes before hanging up. Haruka sighed, and snapped her phone shut. She walked over to her desk, pulling out her Zune, and turning on her computer. She hooked up the piece of equipment, turning on the program to operate it, and set to work. "I love you so much Michiru…Hopefully in time you can come to forgive me," she began dragging and dropping songs into the play list, putting them in the order she wanted, each song with its own hidden meaning to her, most of them reminded her of the violinist. She furrowed her brow as she continued into the night, writing the lyrics to the songs in different languages, just to be sure that Michiru would understand their meaning. She knew the girl was clever, and fluent in several languages, but she was unsure if she would be able to understand songs that were sung in Icelandic.

After preparing the Zune and the letter, she tucked it into the bulky brown envelope she had obtained from the bookstore. She sealed it with a kiss, scribbling Michiru's name on it in permanent marker. She went to the closet and began shoving her things into a duffel bag. After packing her clothes, she walked around the room, picking up her things and piling them on her desk to pack. She carefully peeled off all of her pictures she had taped to the wall, folding them neatly and then sticking them in one of her textbooks.

Michiru came back to the room from her rehearsal after a few hours of a frantically packing blonde.

"Hello, love," she walked over, wrapping her arms around the taller girl, who stiffened at the touch. Michiru recoiled from the change the blonde was exhibiting. "Baby, what's wrong?" Haruka only shrugged, continuing to pack up her belongings. Finally, she turned, kissing the artist roughly.

"I love you…so much…you know that right?" her eyes filled with tears, and she blinked them away quickly. However, the question caught the violinist off guard.

"Of course I know that, Haruka-san…Why wouldn't I?" Michiru questioned gently, hugging the racer tightly. The blonde encircled the small girl with her arms, squeezing her tightly.

"Just a question…" she stooped, picking up the handle of one of the duffel bags. "My mom called, and she wants me home as soon as possible…" she smiled sadly, obviously upset about something.

"Yeah? Why not go tomorrow morning…" there was a tinge of sadness in her voice. She wanted to spend the last few days with her 'Ruka. Not alone…

"No…she seemed pretty pissed at me for something, I best not try my luck…" she walked out of the room with her first load. The violinist sat at her desk, noticing the large brown envelope. She scooped it up, seeing that it had her name on it, she went to open it.

"Don't open that until you are on your way home, Michiru-san!" the blonde had come back, and stood in the door way, the fluorescent lighting causing her shadow to stretch the length of the room.

"Why not, gorgeous?" Michiru smiled, and began to open it once again. Haruka's hands caught her own.

"Promise me. Promise me that you won't touch it until you are in the limo with Hiroshi heading home…" her eyes glistened with tears once again. The violinist nodded as Haruka knelt, slipping a gorgeous aquamarine ring onto her left ring finger. The aquamarine was a cushion cut set into a simple white gold band. "I want you to hold on to this…for me. I'll ask you the question that accompanies it when we see each other again," she smiled sadly, a solitary tear inching down her face. She kissed Michiru's forehead, her lips lingering there for a few seconds, and she quickly stood up, grabbing the last duffel bag. "Don't read it until you leave…"

"I…" the violinist stopped, because in an instant, Haruka was gone. The blonde practically ran to her car, the tears threatening to fall. She got into her car, throwing the duffel bag into the back seat and tore out of the parking lot, heading home to explain to her mother why she had just left the best thing in her life behind.

Three Days later

A yellow sports car pulled onto the campus of Nippon University, driving the familiar road to her old dorm. She saw a black limo parked in the front, a elderly man sitting in the drivers seat. She parked her car quickly, and jogged over to him.

"Hiroshi?" she questioned, the old man nodded.

"My name is Tenoh Haruka…I am, I mean…was Michiru's room mate," she said it all very fast, he held up a hand to stop her.

"I know who you are. What do you need, Tenoh-san?" he glanced at the door, waiting for the violinist to appear. The blonde bit her lower lip.

"I want to give you my phone number. In case, she needs me…I am getting a new number so that Michiru won't be able to find me…It'll make this whole situation worse if she speaks to me…I need her to forget me…" she sighed, taking a deep breath before continuing on. "I'm giving you the number, in case something happens that only I can fix," she took out a tiny scrap of paper, handing it to him. She smiled sadly, and turned on her heel.

"Why are you doing this to her?! Is this just a sick game to you?" He screamed it, so upset that someone would hurt the aqua-haired girl so often. She walked back to him, grabbing the front of his shirt in anger.

"She needs that inheritance! She needs to forget me, because I am not going to be the reason she doesn't have a family!" she spat it, releasing his shirt with a gentle push, and jogged back to her car.

"She needs you, Tenoh-san…not her family…" he tucked the number into his breast pocket, watching the yellow car roar up the hill just as Michiru walked out of the dorm, a large brown envelope in her fragile hands.

As he pulled into the driveway at the Kaioh Estate, he opened the door to find Michiru sitting on the seat, clutching her knees to her chest, silent tears streaming down her face. He picked her up, and carried her into the house of her parents, her mother coming to meet them at the door.

"Michiru, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice sickly sweet with false love. Hiroshi glared at her. The violinist sniffled.

"Tenoh-san…broke up with me, mother. You don't have to worry about her and me a-anymore…" she began to sob in Hiroshi's shoulder. Megumi Kaioh stood there as the chauffeur carried her daughter up the stairs to her room. He returned several moments later, anger in his eyes.

"You should really reconsider this threat, Kaioh-san!" He bowed to her quickly before standing in front of her, his hands on his hips. She returned the gesture, looking up at the taller man.

"I won't tolerate that kind of behavior in my home! She is a Kaioh!" the sweetness in her voice was gone, replaced by battery acid. Her eyes narrowed, and the elder man knew he had picked a fight he could not win.

"That girl is the best thing to ever happen to Michiru-san. The best ever! Tenoh-san only left Michiru because she didn't want to be the reason her family disowned her. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she wanted nothing more than to take your daughter and run far away with her. From you and from the rest of this judgmental world!" he bowed once more and exited the room, going to park the limo in the garage.

Several days later, Michiru was still in the state that she had been after first reading the letter. The dedicated chauffeur took her food from each meal, returning two hours later each time to see the food untouched, just the water, juice, or tea he had brought emptied.

After five days, he took the scrap of paper from his inside breast pocket, and dialed the numbers on the house phone. After three rings, he got an answer.

"Hello?" said a tired sounding Tenoh-san.

"Tenoh-san? It's Hiroshi…Michiru's chauffeur," he added the last part in there in hopes she would be more eager to help him. To his surprise, he hadn't needed the mention of her lover.

"What's wrong?" the blonde questioned without pause, the concern in her voice quite evident.

"Michiru-san…since we got home five days ago…she has done nothing but lay in her room. She only gets up to use the bathroom, and sometimes drink what I have to offer her. She has not eaten for four days," his voice cracked with worry.

"Her mother wouldn't like it if I showed up, would she?"

"I'm afraid not, Tenoh-san…"

"Tomorrow, there will be a parcel for Michi-san. Be sure that she gets it?" her own voice cracked, with worry, tears, and sorrow.

"Of course, Tenoh-san…"

"I wish it didn't have to be like this…" and she hung up.

Hiroshi sat the phone back down.

"Me as well, Tenoh-san…Me as well…"

The following day, as promised, a bouquet of gorgeous red roses sat on the front porch of the mansion addressed to Michiru.


	11. 5 years later

A/N: Okay, so only a few more chapters to go, I think…Thanks to everyone who's been following the story so closely. It's great to know that people think my writing to be decent enough to read. Thanks everyone, and enjoy chapter 11.

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Sailor Moon. Naoko Takeuchi refuses to sell me the rights. I offered her $22 and a piece of string! I thought it reasonable! –laughs-

5 YEARS LATER

The violinist stepped out from the shower, wrapping a fluffy towel around her mid-section and grabbing another one to dry her hair. Her blonde lover walked in, wrapping her arms around the shorter girls waist.

"Good morning, Michiru," said the woman, kissing Michiru's wet hair. The artist smiled sadly.

"Good morning," she pulled away, once again beginning to dry her hair with the towel. Her lover frowned, running a hand through her short blonde hair.

"Is there something bothering you, Michiru?" she went to the girl once again, resting her hands on the pale shoulders. The artist sighed.

"Nothing, Sam…Just thinking…" She picked up her hair brush, and began to brush her hair quickly. She looked at the girl that stood behind her in the mirror. Sam was about two inches shorter than what Haruka was, with the same short blonde hair, though cut differently. She appeared more feminine in the face than the blonde from her past. Her eyes, however, was her biggest difference from the gorgeous racer. Samantha had deep chocolate brown eyes, not the eyes of a stormy sky that Haruka had. Michiru dropped her eyes, saddened by Haruka's memory.

"She left you…she left you five years ago…She hasn't contacted you since…Besides…" she wrapped her arms around Michiru, in an attempt to comfort her lover. "You have me now, love…" Michiru pulled away once again. Samantha sighed. "I'll be here when you are ready to let her go. You've been with me for a year and a half, Michiru…" she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the door frame. "I don't see why you are still pining over her…" She left the room. The violinist heard the front door slam, and heard Samantha yell for a taxi. Michiru walked into the bedroom she shared with Samantha, and sat on their bed, tears cascading down her cheeks. She looked to her left hand, the aquamarine ring still sitting on her ring finger, never moving. The fingers on her right hand began to toy with the ring.

Her mother had died from breast cancer her senior year at Nippon University, almost two years ago. Her step-father, a greedy man as she found out later, rewrote her mothers will so that Michiru was left nothing; all of her inheritance from both her mother and father went to her bastard of a step-father. Hiroshi had passed on her junior year, a stroke taking his life during the night. Once she graduated from NU, she had been offered a seat in the Los Angeles Symphony, which she accepted. It was there she met Samantha Haylen, an accomplished cellist who had playing with the New York Symphony and a graduate of the Julliard School of the Arts.

It was Samantha's appearance that had grabbed Michiru's attention. She had looked at lot like Haruka when she had first seen Samantha. Though, after four dates, she looked nothing like the blonde racer, and was nothing like her in personality.

The violinist had no way of reaching Haruka, had no way of knowing where she was, who she was with. She didn't have a phone number, or any idea where she had transferred to. She had spent years waiting for a sign of the racer. Sure, she had gotten a dozen roses for two years…and then, one day, the flowers stopped arriving. She quit receiving the adorable song lyrics written in the blonde's tiny scrawl. She took it as a sign that Haruka had found someone, wherever she was…

Before she agreed to move in with Samantha, she told the girl about Haruka. She told her about how she was still in love with her, and was sure that someday, that the blonde would come for her. Samantha had told her how she understood.

The violinist had never admitted it, but when Sam and her made love, she saw Haruka. She never allowed herself to moan the name that wanted to rip from her throat, knowing full well that Samantha wouldn't have been very happy. Another secret, she hadn't had a single orgasm with the girl, each time she had faked it. She wasn't happy, she was miserable, but she didn't see the point in leaving the girl and breaking her heart. So, she stuck with her, pretending to love her as much as Samantha loved her.

The violinist reached into her bedside table and pulled out the blonde's black Zune, plugging the headphones in and listening to the play list Haruka had made her so many years before.

Samantha didn't talk to her for two weeks, and Michiru was grateful. She didn't feel bad at all anymore, she just wanted her Haruka to be hers once again. One night, while flipping through the channels, she came across a F1 race that was being broadcasted live from Japan on ESPN. She wasn't sure why, but she felt the need to watch it. After five minutes, a ticker flew across the top telling the ranks of all of the drivers. In first place, Michiru had to look three times as it made rounds, was the name "Tenoh". She watched the entirety of the race, watching the gold car keep a lap a head of the rest of the field. After the race, Haruka was interviewed by a reporter.

"So, Tenoh-san, were you confident in this race?"

"Not really. We had some trouble with the engine in practice yesterday, and I just didn't feel very confident today for other personal reasons," her voice was husky with exhaustion. Michiru could feel the tears in her eyes as she listened on.

"A lot of women have been wondering, are you single?"

"Technically, yes, but I'm not looking for anyone right now," she raised her arm, waving at the crowd.

"Who's Michiru?" the reporter asked, the violinist felt her heart drop to her stomach.

"Excuse me?"

"On the driver's side, under your window it says "Tenoh Haruka". On the passenger side, it says "Kaioh Michiru". May women want to know who she is," Haruka smiled, looking directly into the camera.

"She's my muse, my inspiration," she smiled again, and turned away, signaling that the interview was over. Michiru stared at the screen, the victory celebration still happening. Her eyes followed Haruka around the screen, her heart pounding. She reached out, and gingerly touched her fingers to Haruka's handsome face when the camera man zoomed in on her.

"Haruka…Why haven't you found me?"


	12. I call in vain

A.N: Alright…umm…chapter 12 is up? Enjoy it…I hope you do at least.

Disclaimer: I own nothing…Not Sailor Moon, not any of the lyrics used…just...nothing.

She sat in the middle of the concert hall, a white tux hugging her slim frame. She had just gotten off the plane from Tokyo a few hours prior and had put herself up in a hotel. She had dressed and prepared herself for the concert, stopping by a flower shop to pick up a dozen roses. Her heart was threatening to break her ribs with each thump, in a few moments, she would see Michiru again. She would be able to see the girls beautiful blue eyes, her gorgeous aqua curls, and her flawless pale skin. The blonde would hear her laugh, see her smile, and smell her beautiful musky scent. Haruka felt a shiver pass through her body at the thought, a smile creeping to her lips.

Before she had taken her seat, Haruka had asked a beefy security guard to set the flowers back by Michiru's violin case. He agreed, after the racer had slipped him a hundred dollar bill.

Now, Haruka sat where she knew she would have the best view of her lost love. She had originally wanted to buy tickets for the front row, but had decided better of herself. What if Michiru didn't love her? What if she had waited for such a long time to be turned down? She closed her eyes in pain. If that was the case, then it would be her own fault, wouldn't it? It would be her own fault that she left without another word to the girl, and had taken the extra step to make sure that the beautiful Michiru would never be able to find her. How stupid she had been!

_**2 YEARS EARLIER**_

Haruka sat in a tea shop a few miles from campus, in downtown Hiroshima. She sipped a cup of the shops finest green tea, reading the newspaper. She turned the page gingerly, almost dropping the cup when she saw the picture. It was a family portrait of Michiru, her mother, and her step-father. She ran her fingers over the picture, before reading the headline: "Battle with cancer comes to end". The blonde quickly read through the article, sighing in relief when she read that it was not Michiru.

Haruka tucked the article into her pocket, paid her tab, and began walking home. Once inside her small apartment, she went to her closet and pulled out a small box. Inside the box was every single thing she had found in the papers about Michiru, and a stack of unsent letters. The articles were usually short, about a concert, performance, or charity event the girl was having. Some had pictures, one was a full color magazine cover of Michiru, a eight page article about the violinist and her newly released album, which Haruka owned three copies of. She set the article inside the box and pulled out her cell phone, dialing the number of the violinist.

"Hello?" was the response after three rings.

"Michiru!"

"No…Midori…I think you have the wrong number…I'm sorry. Bye!" she hung up. Haruka looked at her phone dumbly. Michiru had changed her phone number. She had no way of getting a hold of her…

_**2 YEARS LATER**_

The violinist sat in front of a vanity in her dressing room, running a comb through her stubborn aqua locks. Her eyes had lost their luster long ago, a piece of her soul being ripped from her when the blonde had left. She set down her comb, another blonde coming up behind her, placing her hands on Michiru's slender shoulders. The artist glanced back at her, smiling lightly.

"Ready to perform, my kitten?" Sam kissed her hair, and Michiru smiled, hugging one of her arms. She stood up, wearing a simple black dress that hugged her body like a glove, with a modest neckline and a hem that reached to her knees. She turned to her lover, hugging her tightly and kissing her gingerly on the lips.

"Yeah, Sam…I'm ready to do this. How about you?" her question was answered by a soft kiss. She met Sam halfway, reaching her hands up and tangling them into the girls hair. She pulled the blondes hair, forcing their lips closer together. She took a risk, nipping the cellists bottom lip.

Sam moaned softly, backing Michiru against the vanity, and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling their bodies closer. Michiru could feel the heat build between her thighs. The blonde pulled away.

"You…have never kissed me like that, Michiru…" Michiru shrugged meekly. Sam kissed her lightly. "I love you…so much…"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haruka's breath caught in her throat as she saw her love walk onto the stage. She pulled at her tie, all of a sudden feeling it was too tight. Her eyes never left Michiru's face during the entire performance, the smile never leaving the blondes face. She was closer to the girl than she had been in five years, yet at the same time was so far away. The first song ended, and she clapped the loudest in her section, receiving odd looks from the elderly that sat around her. The conductor took a moment to speak to the audience.

"Well, tonight is a special night…Tonight, we will hear a duet between two of our finest musicians…Samantha Haylen and Michiru Kaiou!" He put the microphone back onto its holder as the concert hall erupted into applause. Michiru and Sam each came to the front, Michiru standing and a chair being brought for Sam. Haruka watched as they looked at each and began to play, their duet in perfect time, their instruments complimenting each other perfectly. The blonde gritted her teeth at the blonde on the stage, narrowing her eyes angrily, jealous for some unknown reason. She chuckled to herself. She was just a colleague of Michiru's…nothing more…

Their duet ended, lasting far to long for the impatient blonde who was antsy, wanting to run backstage and sweep Michiru off of her feet. Michiru and the blonde bowed together, and before they parted, Sam pecked Michiru on the lips. The gorgeous violinist smiled at her, holding onto Sam's hand as they parted. Haruka felt her heart sink in her chest, her fist clenching at her side.

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Michiru walked hand in hand back to the dressing rooms with Sam, almost giddy. It had been almost three months since she had seen Haruka on TV after winning her F1 race. She had cried afterwards, heartbroken by the fact that the blonde hadn't searched for her at all, yet had the gall to say that she was her inspiration. Sam came home after Michiru called, crying, needing her comforting arms. They had made love that night, Michiru actually not faking her pleasure, enjoying Sam for Sam, not her likeness to the tomboy.

Sam had noticed the change as well, excited that perhaps Michiru was moving on, leaving Haruka to be buried as a memory in the back of her mind. The short blonde could not help but feel happy at the thought of Haruka disappearing from Michiru's mind for good.

The two of them walked towards their dressing room, giggling, and stopping every once in a while to peck each other on the lips, much like a new couple would. Sam pressed Michiru against a wall, kissing her deeply a few doors from their dressing room, their bodies so close that not a ray of light would be able to shine through them. Their fellow musicians laughed at them, almost as excited as Sam to see Michiru out of her depressed state. Sam pulled away softly.

"Michiru…I love you…I really do…"

"Sam…I…" she looked over to the dressing room she shared with her girlfriend, frowning some as she noticed someone standing in front of it, their arms crossed, leaning against the door with one foot propped up against it. Sam turned, noticing the stranger.

"Who the hell…" she walked forward, the color from her face draining. She looked at the blonde who blocked their door, and thought she had stepped in front of a strange mirror. Haruka stood to her full height.

"I see you have replaced me, Michiru…" she spoke in Japanese, still not very good with the English language Michiru seemed to have picked up so quickly. Sam glared at her.

"How about you say what you have to say so I can understand you too!" she went and wrapped her arms around Michiru, guarding her. Haruka chuckled.

"Between Michiru and I…not you," she said in broken English. Sam help Michiru tighter. Michiru's eyes were wide, and filled to the brim with tears.

"You never came for me!" Michiru whispered angrily, also in her native tongue.

"I tried to call you two years ago…your phone number was different," the blonde shut her eyes, almost in tears herself.

"I can't…Haruka…I can't…" she curled into Sam's shoulder, sobbing. The blonde stiffened, looking at the scene, she looked away quickly.

"I…I'm sorry…I shouldn't have left…but I felt there to be no other option…" she set the bouquet of roses at Michiru's feet. She turned, walking away, her heart breaking with each step she took from the violinist. Michiru watched her go, sobbing harder. She picked up the roses, and reached for the card.

In the blonde's tiny scrawl she had written her phone number, and underneath that, a song lyric:

_Across a thousand oceans  
I call your name  
Across the black fields  
I call in vain  
…I call in vain_


	13. The Call

_A/N: I got a personal message asking if I was ever going to continue this. Sorry for my long absence, What with work, homework, class, and the problems I have been having with my room mates, I haven't been inclined to write at all. However, due to the prodding I have received which I do not mind receiving!, I'm going to go ahead, and update with this short chapter. I hope it's good enough! I hope you all enjoy the new chapter of Room Mates. _

Michiu held her phone out in front of her, staring at it, Haruka's number typed into it, her thumb poised over the send button. She growled and shut the phone once again, having done this routine over and over for the past two hours. She would gather all of her courage, type the number in as fast as she could, but as soon as she went to press send, her body would freeze, her mind moving a million miles a minute. She was terrified of hearing the blonde woman's voice again. She sighed inwardly, it hadn't lost the gruffness she had fallen in love with. Haruka herself hadn't changed much, her eyes a bit darker then they usually had been, and the lack of her usual mirth. She rolled onto her stomach, glaring at her phone as if it held all the answers to her hearts deepest questions. It held no such power, but still, she glared at the silent device.

"I can do this…I can do this…" she flipped the phone open and dialed the number quickly, and pressed send. She stared downwards, frozen in shock as the phone read "Calling". The violinist placed the phone to her ear.

"_Hello?"_ the husky voice drifted through the phone, Michiru's heart threatening to burst from her chest. "_Hello?" _The voice said again, sounding annoyed. The violinist swallowed, and found she was not breathing. The blonde hung up, and Michiru breathed a sigh, one of relief but yet of frustration with herself. She dialed the number once again.

The blonde answered after four rings.

"_Hello?"_ her voice already sounded annoyed. Michiru swallowed the lump in her throat, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and gripped her phone with both hands

"Haruka?" she questioned gently, even though she knew it was. She heard the blondes breath catch in her throat, and she thought she could hear her heart pounding in time with her own.

"_Michiru? I thought…What do you need?"_ the blonde's voice was calm, though it ha raised in pitch only slightly. Michiru smiled to herself, feeling giddy at the fact that she still could make the blonde nervous.

"_I just wanted to talk. You didn't give me much of a chance the other nig-" _Michiru found herself being cut off by a frustrated chuckle, a groan following after that.

"_I was so nervous, afraid you would have moved on. I told myself…that you would wait, just as I had. I can see, obviously, that I was sadly mistaken," _her voice cut through the violinist like ice, and she felt a shiver run up her spine.

"_Ruka…"_

_"Don't you dare 'Ruka' me!" _the blonde's voice raised another pitch, losing all of it's gruffness. It sounded pained and hollow. Michiru gripped the phone, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"_You left me! How would I know that you have been waiting for me! Not a word from you in five years, and all of a sudden, this is my fault!? How dare you Tenou Haruka! How dare you!" _her voice cracked, the tears falling from her eyes freely now. It was taking everything she had not to break down and sob to the woman across the phone, to tell her of how Sam had begged her for a date, and how, the only reason she went was because of how much she even partially resembled the racer. Though she was crying, she found herself angry now, angrier then she had ever been. It seeped into her veins, threatening to rip from her chest in the form of some disgusting beast and attack the one who had hurt her worst.

"_I never said this was your fault…I know the fault lies entirely with me, my Michiru…" _her voice was gentle again, the warmth seeping into Michiru's freezing heart and thawing it slowly. The anger that had suddenly welled up in her chest was subdued for a moment, but then it came back, wanting to cause the blonde the same pain, to make her hurt.

"_Why did you leave me…" _her voice was barely a whisper, her body shaking from her pent up anger, and her agony that the blonde was unknowingly causing. How could she just leave Sam now? How could she break the girls heart like Haruka had broken hers? No matter what she wanted, this was no longer just about her and the blonde. No, because her weakness had drug anther innocent soul into the mix, and in the end, it would lead someone to be left with a broken heart.

"_Can we meet somewhere? I would prefer to talk about this in person…I want you to understand…I need you to understand why I did what I did," _Haruka's voice was strained, almost pleading. Michiru frowned. Haruka would never beg, not to a single person on this planet, why was she begging now? The violinist jumped as she heard the door to her apartment open, Sam walking inside with a bag full of groceries. She walked back to the bathroom, and shut the door.

"_I can meet you tonight…I have a charity event that I am playing at tonight," _she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cool tile of her bathroom. She wanted nothing more than to talk to the blonde and to figure out what had went wrong, and why Haruka had ran.

"_Charity event? The one for breast cancer?" _Haruka sounded interested. Michiru nodded. _"Michiru?"_ The artist sighed, realizing her nod had not been heard through the phone.

"_Yes, the one for breast cancer. I'm doing it for my mom," _she felt yet another tear drift down her cheek. She chuckled in pure frustration, and wiped the tear away roughly. _"I don't know why I am doing it for her, or at least in her memory…Damn woman stole you from me, though not intentionally." _

_"Hush. I'll see you there then. An old friend of ours invited me along, and since I have nothing better to do in this town until tomorrow, I opted to go. I'm glad I'll get to see such a gorgeous woman perform," _her voice enveloped the violinist in sweet ribbons, causing her insides to churn. She giggled like a school girl.

"_You'll be there? I can't wait then!" _her voice was full of life suddenly. The blonde would be there, within reaching distance. Who cares if she as going with a date, Michiru could work around that.

"_I won't miss it. Save me a dance, my princess?" _the violinist could hear the smile in the blonde's voice, her husky arrogant tone telling all. Michiru's heart leaped, pulling summersaults in her chest.

"_I've never wanted to dance with anyone else…" _the blond chuckled.

"_Till then, my Michiru. I love you," _and she hung up almost instantly afterwards. Michiru dropped her phone to the floor with the blonde's words. She touched her cheeks, and fell to her knees, still leaning against the bathroom's wall.

"_She loves me…" _she laughed, tears streaming down her face. She touched her tear stained cheeks, and laughed again, letting out a shout of ecstasy. "_SHE LOVES ME!"_


	14. The Dance

_A/N: Okay, so I'm hopefully going to be wrapping up this story within the next…two maybe three chapters. However! I am so sorry it took me as long as it did to get you the last chapter, but…when life moves at you fast…Twix Bars do not slow it down trust me, I tried. Haha. _

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, I say! Nothing!_

The blonde racer walked into the charity ball, a blonde girl with long blonde pig tails hanging on her arm. It had been years since she had seen Usagi Tsukino, but as fate would have it, they ran into one another at a coffee shop by Haruka's hotel. Three cups of coffee and two muffins apiece later, Usagi had talked the blonde into going to the ball with her, which after hearing who the guest of honor was, Haruka had no objections to going.

Haruka had selected a simple black tuxedo for the evening, the coat having tails that hung down, reaching to almost her knees. Her tie was a brilliant gold with a matching vest. Her eyes were filled with their usual arrogance, and her blonde hair was a bit shaggy. Usagi clutched her arm tightly, excited to be accompanied by Japan's first world champion F-1 racer in years.

Usagi had done well for herself as well, going to American and finding a home in the movie industry. She wore a royal blue dress that left little to the imagination, and she grinned, knowing exactly who she wanted to take it off for the night. She looked up, wanting nothing more than to catch the blonde tom boy staring at her with those grey eyes filled with lust. Usagi frowned when she saw Haruka looking not at her, or in her general vicinity even, but towards the stage, where a small group of people surrounded a slender girl with short blonde hair and a girl with long aqua locks. Suddenly, it dawned on Usagi exactly who Haruka was here to see, and it stung her heart to know it wasn't her.

The two of them walked through the crowd, finally finding a small table near the stage and taking a seat, the lights dimming to let everyone know that the main attraction of the night was about to begin. Usagi watched as the blonde sat on the edge of her seat, as if preparing to be tortured, her eyes closing tightly, and her fingers lacing together tightly atop the white table cloth. Her eyes turned from the racer and back towards the stage as Michiru and Sam made their way to the spotlight, holding hands and bowing as they did so. Usagi's eyes widened, seeing Michiru for the first time since college. Her dress was a gorgeous shimmering blue, the bottom dragging the floor and erupting around her like waves on the beach. It was strapless, and was a lower cut showing her cleavage slightly. The color worked well with her pale, porcelain like skin. Her partner was wearing a white tuxedo with a matching blue tie and vest, her blonde hair cut in a pixie style hair cut. She was wearing glasses with thick black frames, which somehow brought her entire look together. Sam's eyes fell on Haruka and Usagi, and her grip on Michiru's hand tightened slightly, her eyes flashing as they met those of the racers, almost as if saying "I win."

Usagi turned to Haruka as she heard a loud grinding sound, the racers jaw was clenched tightly, the grinding of her teeth evident from the muscle in her jaw twitching. The younger blonde looked at her, and then back at the couple on the stage. She took a deep breath as they began to peform.

Michiru walked off the stage a half an hour later a small bit of sweat on her forehead from the spotlight. She was giddy, because sitting in the front row was Haruka. She smiled and looked to the floor. It may have taken the blonde five years to do it, but she finally saw her perform. Then, the violinists eyes flittered the girl sitting beside the tom boy and she felt her lips pull into a sneer.

"Usagi…" her eyes flashed with scorn before returning to their usual calm, cold sapphire. She felt a hand on her shoulder, a second sliding around her waist. She could feel Sam press herself against her back, and she noticed that Haruka looked away with a look of pain crossing her features. The violinist glared at her shoes, the blonde that held her from behind gripping her possessively.

"What is she doing here?" her voice was barely a whisper, nearly a growl, her breath hot against Michiru's neck. Michiru suppressed a shudder, and wiggled free from Sam's grip.

"She's here because she was invited," sapphire irises met earthy brown, and Sam averted her gaze. She moved forward to grasp Michiru's hand lightly.

"You didn't tell me you invited her…" the violinist moved her hand away from her, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I didn't. I think Reisho invited her. She is a prominent figure in the Japanese eye right now," Sam heaved a sigh, noticing the violinist's cold demeanor about the subject.

"So, you didn't know she would be here…?"

"Did I say that?" Michiru snapped, finding herself very irritated by Sam's questions about Haruka's presence. Her nails left little half moon indentations in her upper arms from where she was gripping them tightly. Sam hugged her from behind, the violinist stiffening at her touch.

"Now you're mad at me…aren't you?" Sam questioned carefully, her voice soft.

"I am pissed at you. How dare you be so jealous!" Michiru's eyes flashed again.

"I…have every right to be jealous of that woman, and you know that to be a fact. But, fine…you don't want me to be jealous…maybe you don't want to be with me as much as you had led me to believe!" she stormed off towards the bar, leaving Michiru flabbergasted, and at a loss for words. She absentmindedly twisted the ring Haruka had given her years before, which she wore on her right ring finger, her left ring finger currently occupied by another ring. This ring was simplistic, a gold band with a tiny princess cut diamond sitting on the gold band. An engagement ring.

Haruka watched her doppelganger put her arms around Michiru, and watched as the girl nuzzled the neck of the violinist. She had begun to grind her teeth again, the jealous light that had appeared in her eyes as they had made their way onto the stage turning into a fire that blazed forth, making her stomach flip, and her heart ache. Was this what jealousy felt like? She hated it, absolutely hated it. What she hated more was the fact that she knew she could have any girl she wanted, any girl save for one, who was currently with another person and didn't seem to want to leave them. She chuckled to herself irritably, her eyes still trained on the pair who now seemed to be arguing. Usagi looked at Haruka like she was mad.

"_Haruka, are you okay?"_ she questioned, scooping up her wine glass elegantly, and then almost instantly spilling some of the fragrant white wine. The blonde let out a laugh as Usagi looked at her mess, and she reached over with a napkin and began to mop up the now wet table cloth.

_"I am fine, Usagi. Thanks for your concern, however…"_ she kissed Usagi's cheek lightly, causing the younger girl to blush. The DJ had been playing since Michiru and whatever-her-name-is (Haruka really didn't care what that woman's name was) had left the stage. Usagi looked at the elder girl, smiling sheepishly as a slow song began to emit from the speakers and drift lazily among the people of the room.

_"May I have this dance?" _Haruka had already stood, offering her had to Usagi. The younger blonde blushed once again (a common occurrence in the presence of Haruka) and took the racer's hand, and allowed herself to be guided onto the dance floor.

"_You've always been such a charmer, Haruka…"_ Usagi clung to the taller girl, leaning her head against her chest, closing her eyes and smiling with contentment. She followed Haruka's movements fluidly, finding herself at peace in the older girls arms, Haruka's cologne making her think about how she really wanted this night to end.

"_Have I_?" the racer took the opportunity to spin Usagi gracefully and then send her into a low dip, their eyes locking. She smiled, knowing full well that her smile could coax any woman into her bed. She almost could feel Usagi melt in her grasp, her blue eyes shining up into the grey eyes of the blonde. Haruka bit back a laugh, and found herself suddenly feeling rotten to the core. She didn't want Usagi, and yet, here she was, charming the socks off the poor girl. She pulled the smaller girl back into her arms, and continued to move in time with the music. She glanced over, her grey eyes finding a pair of pained sapphire ones from across the room.

Michiru walked over to an empty table, watching Sam order another shot. They had been having these spats since the day after Haruka had called. Sam would check her phone to see if any strange numbers had called the violinist. She frowned, once again twirling the engagement ring Sam had given her. What had she been thinking when she said yes? She knew she could only completely love one blonde, and Sam just…couldn't be the blonde Michiru wanted. The artist looked over to see Haruka kiss Usagi's cheek, and felt her heart drop into her stomach.

"Oh, you love me, do you Haruka!?" she thought bitterly, turning from the scene, glancing back a few moments later to find that the pair had disappeared, and were working their way to the dance floor. The violinist's jaw clenched tightly, her teeth beginning to ache in protest. She watched them, anger filling her heart, a light appearing in her eyes. She looked over her shoulder towards the bar, and found Sam to be gone from the place she had been sitting at. Michiru rolled her eyes irritably, knowing that the girl had probably wandered off chatting with someone she felt was important. The artist turned her gaze back towards Haruka and Usagi, the taller blonde dipping the latter and flashing one of her trademark smiles. Michiru suddenly felt like running away. Haruka looked up, and Michiru's eyes met grey ones, which were almost instantly filled with pity and longing. The violinist averted her gaze quickly.

"Next song…you want to dance with me?" Sam's voice appeared behind her shoulder, her breath warm against Michiru's bare shoulder. The violinist turned to face her, stripping the blonde of her glasses.

"Why do you insist on wearing those?" Sam grabbed her glasses back and slipped them on once again.

"Oh, I don't know, so I can see," she rolled her eyes in irritation, Michiru able to smell the liqueur on her breath. Whisky and coke. She sighed, and nodded.

"Of course I'll dance with you, darling…" Sam held out her hand, another slow song beginning to slide through the crowd from the speakers. Michiru giggled and stood up, holding Sam's hand, and began to follow the blonde as she weaved their way through the crowd. Sam pulled her against her chest, and wrapped her arms around her waist, resting her head on Michiru's shoulder.

"I am so glad you said yes, Michiru…I love you so much," she kissed the violinist's neck softly, allowing her lips to linger. Michiru stiffened. A hand reached out a hand and tapped Sam on the shoulder. The cellist turned, her eyes filling with hate suddenly.

"What do you want?' she snapped. Haruka grinned at her hostility, welcoming the challenge of winning Michiru back away from the shorter blonde.

"May…I cut in?" her English had improved slightly, but her accent was still thick and her words were still slow. Sam narrowed her eyes, and opened her mouth to say something, which was guaranteed to be rude. Michiru put a hand on her shoulder.

"Just one dance, love…what could it hurt?" She smiled at her, her stomach doing flips at the thought of being so close to the racer once again. Sam glared at Michiru, the anger fading some as she took in the violinist. She sighed in annoyance and kissed her on the lips, allowing once again to let her lips linger.

"Just one…" she vanished into the crowd towards the bar once again, where another blonde girl was sitting. Michiru watched her go.

"_May I have this dance?"_ The violinist shivered in pure pleasure as Haruka's husky voice enveloped her, which in turn made another part of her body grow warm. She turned back to the racer, and looked up into her eyes. She nodded, and Haruka lost no time in pulling her close, beginning to lead their dance. Michiru fell against her chest, finding it to be hidden behind the cruel binding Haruka must have begun to wear later in life. She could feel the softness of the tall woman's chest behind it, however. She closed her eyes as she laid there, for the first time in five years, feeling complete once again.

"_I love you, my Michiru…" _Haruka's voice was soft, a whisper that Michiru was not meant to hear. Her eyes fluttered open, and they filled with tears.

"What do I do?" she thought, her eyes closing once again, a smile flittering to her lips of contentment and peace.


	15. Confessions

_A/N: Alright, so…I'm going to keep updating this story the way I have been, regularly. Haha. School is catching up to me, but I have a good bit of free time on my hands between certain classes, and at night…so… Also, I do apologize for Michiru being so emotional, but she is stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the love she lost so long ago just came waltzing back into her life…-shrugs- Just seems like the girl needs to be an emotional wreck in this story. _

_(Also, thanks to Haruka-chan212 for the basic idea for this chapter and the previous one. If it wasn't for her, I don't think this story would ever find an ending.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Haruka, Michiru, or Usagi, but…the plot and Sam are all mine. Bwhaha!_

The blonde slipped her glasses off and ran a set of calloused hands through her pixie styled hair. She held her head up by the roots of her hair for a few moments before glancing over her shoulder to find Michiru leaning against the racers chest, her eyes closed and smile of contentment across her porcelain features. The bar keep came to stand in front of her.

"Can I get you something?" he asked, wiping a glass with a bright white cloth. Sam looked up to him, her brown eyes ablaze. Her voice was a whisper and shook with anger.

"Whisky…better make it two shots," he nodded and went to get two shot glasses, pouring the amber liquid into them both. The cellist picked up the first one and slammed it down, doing the same with the second. The bartender offered to pour her another round, and she nodded her approval. He poured the second round, and she slammed them both back as she had the first set. Her head began to feel fuzzy, and her eyelids felt heavy. She glared back at her fiancé dancing with the tall, handsome blonde.

"Hi there…" Sam heard the bubbly voice say, and felt a figure sit beside her, the person's body heat warming her left side. "Got a name, gorgeous?" Sam looked over and blinked to find the girl the blonde-menace had come into the party with. She grinned, her eyes traveling over the girls slight curves, and the fabric of her revealing blue dress.

"Name's Sam…May I ask yours?" her voice was like velvet, her voice a bit higher than Haruka's, but still as seductive when she tried. Usagi giggled, moving closer to her, her English nearly as flawless as Michiru's at this point, and this time, she was grateful for all of the lessons Mamoru had given her while she was in high school.

"I'm Usagi Tsukino…" she smiled. Sam shivered at the girls look, her clear blue eyes threatening to boil over with lust.

"The actress? From the latest string of oriental flicks they've been making?" Sam leaned forward slightly, catching a whiff of Usagi's perfume. Lilacs.

"That would be me…They usually make me wear a wig because…well…blonde's aren't common in the Asian population," she took a sip of water. The cellist smiled at her once again.

"Ah, so blondes are a rare breed?" she picked up her wine glass and sipped it carefully, her eyes not leaving Usagi's face. She felt something in the pit of her stomach that she perceived as guilt, and as she glanced back over to Michiru dancing so closely with she-who-must-not-be-named, the feeling vanished. Michiru was over there, practically cheating on her, so, a bit of flirting with a gorgeous actress wouldn't hurt anyone, right?

The song ended, but Haruka didn't release Michiru, and the violinist made no motion of leaving the taller woman's arms. She snuggled closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around her toned torso.

_"I saw your race a few months ago…"_ a fast paced song came on, but they remained like that, still moving slowly as if the song was still a quiet tune fit for a waltz. The blonde ran her fingers through Michiru's hair, resting her lips against the girls forehead.

_"Oh? Which one?"_ she chuckled, not wanting the moment to end. She glanced over and saw that Usagi had taken the other blonde's attention and was holding it quite nicely. Good. That would ensure that her and Michiru would not be interrupted.

"_The one where you were asked why the name Kaiou Michiru was written on the passenger side of your car…"_ Michiru looked up at her, tears shining in her eyes, though she willed them not to fall. "I had thought you had forgotten me once the roses stopped coming," she laid her head against Haruka's chest once again, still fighting her tears. The blonde hugged her closer.

_"How could I forget you? You're all I have thought about for 5 years. When I went to your concert last week, and saw you kiss whatever her name is…"_

_"Sam?"_

_"Yeah, her, whatever." _She waved Michiru off, still not wanting to speak the cellists name aloud. She paused, wanting to tell Michiru how she had felt, but at the same time, hesitating. She wanted the girl to know everything, every feeling she had, every dream. God, she even wanted to tell the violinist about the "Box of Michiru" that she had in her closet. She swallowed hard, and searched for her bravery. "_I felt as if my heart had been torn from my chest, set on the ground, stomped on, set on fire, and then spat upon,"_ she nodded once to show that her long-winded explanation was done. Michiru looked up at her, her eyes still saddened.

"_Now you know…just a fraction of how I felt when you left without saying goodbye in person. Yes, the roses, and all of your song lyrics helped…but they were nothing compared to what I had lost when you had left me. Do you not understand?! I died that day…You killed me, Tenou Haruka! And now…You come to me, telling me how bad I hurt you?" _she was crying without hesitation now, burying her face against the taller woman's chest. Haruka held her close, stroking her silky aqua locks. The blonde felt an odd stinging sensation in her eyes, and fought it away. Michiru's body shook with her sobs. Even when she was crying, she was gorgeous. The racer tipped her chin upwards, their eyes meeting, Michiru blinking profusely, trying to stop the tears.

"_I was wrong to have left. I should have stayed, and allowed your mother to know me, to hopefully help her revoke her decision. I shouldn't have run, and I shouldn't have severed contact with you. I should have stayed…for you. I made a selfish decision, all the while trying to protect you. I wouldn't allow you to be abandoned by your family for me…I am so sorry, my Michiru," _she stroked Michiru's face lightly, the violinist leaning into her touch, still sniffling.

"_Now, I am so confused as to what to do…" _Haruka stiffened, looking down at her, Michiru looking up. "_Unlike you…I didn't think you'd ever come for me…So I found someone so similar to you it made me sick," _she buried her face into Haruka's chest again. _"And now…if it was just a matter between you and I…oh, how I wish it was! I wouldn't hesitate, and I would be all yours," _she held onto the racers suit jacket tighter, wanting to be held, which Haruka obliged, wrapping her strong arms around Michiru's frail body and holding the quaking shoulders tightly, yet gently. She felt a tear run down her face, but only one. She wouldn't allow herself to cry over Michiru's decision. This was her fault, after all.

_"I understand if you're saying you can't be with me, Michiru," _she whispered, kissing the girls hair. Michiru stiffened in her arms.

_"But, that's not what I am saying at all!"_ Michiru looked up at her, anger burning in her deep blue eyes which were puffy from her tears. Her cheeks were red, and were water stained from her tears. She reached back her right arm and thrust it into Haruka's chest, and followed suit several times, punching the taller woman, before falling back against her chest, sobbing once again.

"_Then what are you saying?" _The blonde winced slightly as Michiru's head collided with her now sore chest. Michiru pulled away from her, glancing over her shoulder to find Sam dancing with Usagi, and smiling all the while. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was keeping busy, and wouldn't be staring at her.

"_Let's step outside…It's awful stuffy in here,"_ she stepped away from the racer, and walked towards the large French doors on the opposite side of the hall, leading to a large balcony that was covered in white, yellow, and red roses. Haruka followed after her gracefully, grabbing two glasses of wine, and passing one to the violinist.

"_What do you mean, then? If you're not turning me down…What are you doing?" _she sipped her own glass of wine, watching as Michiru leaned against the balcony, the wind causing her hair and dress and flutter without restriction. The blonde sighed softly as her friend, the wind, played with her own short hair. She leaned against the balcony a few inches from the violinist. "_I mean, I don't know how to end it, without hurting her as badly as you hurt me…and I know from experience, that it is the worst hurt imaginable," _she fiddled with the ring on her finger.

"_So, you aren't turning me down?" _the usual cocky demeanor that Haruka usually held was replaced by uncertainty. Michiru smiled at her, and turned to face her, once again leaning against her chest. The racer wrapped her arms around her.

"_I should be feeling guilty, such close contact with another person. It's almost as if I'm cheating on her with you, right now…but then again, I've been cheating on her since before we started dating, with you…Always with you…" _Haruka tipped Michiru's chin up with her finger tips, and gently pressed their lips together.


	16. Happily Ever After

_A/N: Alright. It's been a little while. I lied. It's been forever. I apologize for my absence, and I hope someone, somewhere will still enjoy the final chapter in this tale. _

_Disclaimer: Same as always. _

Michiru pulled away after a moment, looking up at the blonde, a blush on her features. Haruka chuckled, and took a step back, the moon full, bathing them both in a cool light. The blonde looked up, watching the stars above them twinkle and shine. She sighed, coming back down to earth from her kiss-influenced high. She turned to Michiru.

"_I shouldn't have kissed you. You're engaged…" _she looked away, the sadness returning to her grey eyes, her voice a whisper, but still filled with pain. The violinist walked over, placing her fingers on Haruka's cheek, turning her face so that their lips were inches apart once again. Their eyes met, the rest of the world seeming to disappear around them. Michiru allowed her fingers to trail across the jaw line of the racer, her touch soft. The blonde leaned into her touch, closing her eyes, her face relaxing and becoming placid. The artist took another step closer, her fingers now tracing over Haruka's collarbone, her other hand reaching up to cup the taller woman's cheek, a smirk on the smaller woman's lips as the blonde shivered at her touch. The racer opened her eyes, looking at Michiru, their eyes locking once again.

"_Take me home with you tonight…my Haruka."_

The long haired blonde actress fell down beside the woman with auburn hair, panting. Sam looked over at Usagi and smiled at her, the night they shared having been the most passionate one she had had for a long time. Usagi giggled and snuggled up against her.

"I should have told Haruka I was leaving," the blonde woman stated simply, kissing Sam's collarbone, which forced a shiver out of the taller woman. The actress giggled, kissing along her neck. Sam sighed softly.

"Do you…feel guilty?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper. Usagi looked at her, and shook her head.

"Why should I feel guilty, Sam?" she kissed her lover once again and sat up in the bed of her hotel. The woman with auburn hair snuggled against her stomach.

"I mean…You just cheated on Haruka. I just cheated on Michiru. It's…what a tangled web we weave, eh?" she buried her face into the pillow, wanting to scream her frustrations out. Or, better yet, cuddle up to this gorgeous woman and fuck the anger she felt towards her situation away. She pulled Usagi close, choosing the latter method of coping.

* * *

Haruka rolled over onto the teal comforter, panting softly, a soft sheen of sweat on her toned body. She looked over at the woman she shared the bed with, a smile on her features. Michiru cuddled up beside her, her aqua hair matted and tangled, sweat dripping from the small hairs on her forehead. The violinist cuddled against the racers chest, who had wrapped her arms around her slim waist and pulled her closer, nuzzling her ear. Michiru giggled softly, kissing the back of her hand.

"_I didn't think you would ever come back," _the violinist whispered, turning slightly in the blondes arms to lay a light kiss on her lips. Haruka smiled, and deepened their kiss before pulling away, leaning her forehead against Michiru's, laying soft kisses across her cheeks. She smiled.

_"I'm here now. Isn't that what matters? All that matters?" _she kissed her again, the artist snuggling against her more.

"_Haruka, I…," _she paused as the blonde kissed her softly, pulling her on top of her. Michiru deepened their kiss, their tongues dueling as she slid her hands over Haruka's toned stomach. The blonde pulled away, caressing Michiru's cheek with her thumb, her grey eyes locking with Michiru's sapphire ones. She leaned up, laying a light kiss on the tip of her nose.

"_Don't say it. We don't say that yet…You still have to make a choice, my Michiru…" _she kissed her again, even more softly then before. The violinist pulled away, and snuggled against the blonde once again, resting in the space between her shoulder and neck.

"_Haruka, do…do you love me?" _she whispered her question so softly that the racer barely caught what she said. The tomboy laid a light kiss against her temple.

_"Yes, Michiru. That is why I came,"_ she whispered it in reply, her lips still touching the woman's temple. "_I couldn't…I can't stand to see you with her, knowing, that you should be mine. That I should be yours…"_ she was silenced with another kiss, the artist dragging her nails over her ribs, receiving a shiver for her efforts.

"_Then be mine, my racer," _she grinned as Haruka groaned under her touch, and pulled her close once again, kissing her again, greedily.

* * *

Sam giggled as she snuck her arms around the shorter blondes waist, kissing her neck lovingly as the water from the shower rinsed the sweat from their prior engagement away. Their bodies fit together perfectly, something Sam had noticed was off with her and Michiru. She smiled as Usagi giggled, turning to place a soft kiss on the cellists lips.

"Sam, can I ask you something?" the actress murmured, kissing along the taller woman's throat.

"What's that, Usagi?" she giggled as the blonde found a sensitive place beneath her ear and nipped it with her teeth ever so lightly. The shorter woman giggled as she felt her lover squirm beneath her fingers and teeth.

"Do you…believe in love at first sight?" her voice was a whisper, her lips grazing her earlobe, her fingers gliding across her slender midsection. Sam tensed at her touch, the question running through her mind. Did she believe in love at first sight? She had certainly thought Michiru was attractive, but it had taken several weeks for her to approach the woman for a date. She looked to Usagi, and smiled. She had felt so content just chatting with the actress at the ball, just the girl's smile causing her to forget all about Michiru and that bitch she had been dancing with. Sam pulled Usagi close, and kissed her deeply before pulling away.

"Yes, Usagi. I believe in love at first sight, now," she laughed at Usagi's blush, and kissed the tip of her nose. The blonde snuggled against her again.

"Me too, Sam. Who knew, such a fine female specimen would be sitting alone at a bar," she giggled. Sam sighed.

"Yeah…" the cellist found herself not feeling guilty at the concept of her cheating on Michiru, but for the fact that she was still dating her, and found herself falling more and more in love with Usagi Tsukino as the seconds ticked by.

"You…don't regret us, do you?" the actress questioned softly as she dried off, the taller woman dressing in the clothes she had worn to the party. She looked to Usagi with a look of utter disbelief.

"No, Usagi. I don't regret us. At all, in fact, I regret holding on to Michiru for as long as I did," she kissed her softly once more.

* * *

Haruka stepped behind Michiru, surprising the woman with a soft kiss at the base of her neck, the hot water causing the small bathroom to become foggy. She chuckled as the violinist shivered. Michiru turned in her arms, and pressed her against the cool tile, allowing her fingers to roam over the taunt midsection, the small breasts. The racer threw her head back as the smaller woman took a nipple into her mouth, teasing it with her tongue. She let out a soft moan, her fingers inching south to ease her throbbing center. Michiru pulled away abruptly, and Haruka looked at her questioningly, the door shutting as someone walked inside. Michiru turned the shower off.

"Sam…" she got out, and wrapped a towel around herself as the cellist stepped into the bathroom, whose door had been left wide open. The racer kneeled in the shower, still dripping, suddenly feeling jealous as she assumed Michiru was wrapped up in those arms, the calloused finger tips running across the skin that the blonde had just explored every inch of an hour prior.

"Michiru, we need to talk," Sam's voice was soft. Haruka was surprised, having expected anger, heartbreak, or something of that nature. She listened closer. "And Haruka, I know you're in there too…" the racer slipped at the mention of her name and fell in the tub with a rather loud smack as she cracked her head against the tile. She peeked around the curtain as she stood. Michiru was sitting on the counter top between the two sinks, and Sam was leaning against the door way. The blonde tightened her hold on the curtain as Michiru spoke first.

"Talk about what Samantha?" Her voice was even, and Haruka couldn't help but allow her eyes to drag the length of her leg that was draped sensually over the counter, only her upper thigh hidden by the towel. Sam's voice drug Haruka from her naughty thoughts.

"I…I think it would be better if we broke up, Michiru. Not because you so obviously cheated on me, but because…I should have known this wouldn't have worked from the beginning. From the first time you told me about Haruka Tenou, I should have thrown in the towel and walked away," she smiled at Michiru. "But, I thought it could work, that we could work. After, seeing the way you look at her, I know it never will," she stepped to her, and took the diamond ring off of the violinist's finger. "So, I'm setting you free. So we can both be happy. What do you say?" she smiled as Michiru hugged her close.

"Sam, I may not have been completely yours, but…you'll always hold a piece of my heart, you know that right?" she whispered into her now ex-girlfriends ear, who nodded.

"Of course, Michiru. I will always know that," she pulled away, and looked to Haruka. "Take good care of her for me?" her eyes showed a slight hint of pain. The blonde looked at her and nodded, and spoke in broken English.

"Of course, will take good care of Michiru. Thank you," she bowed slightly to her, and in the blink of an eye, Sam was gone.

Usagi looked at the auburn haired woman as she slid into the front seat of her car, tossing a bag of clothes into the back seat. Sam leaned over and kissed her deeply. She smiled and started the car.

"How did it go?" the blonde asked quietly, smiling wide to see the diamond ring that Sam produced.

"Now, they're free to love, the way they should have loved five years ago," she smiled up at the bedroom apartment where Michiru stood wearing an over sized white dress shirt, a tall blonde standing behind her. They waved at Sam and Usagi as the pulled from the curb and drove out of sight.

_ "Do you want to chase her, my Michiru?"_

_ "I have you, my knight in shining armor."_

_ "I could always leave, if you love her more," _her voice was soft, almost a teasing whisper. The violinist turned in her arms and kissed her roughly, pushing her to the bed. The blonde gasped softly as Michiru kissed her passionately. She pulled away, and looked Haruka in the eye, touching the racers lips softly.

"_Promise…you won't ever leave me again…" _her voice was a whisper once again. The blonde leaned up, and captured her lips in a feather soft kiss.

"_I promise, my Michiru. I promise." _


End file.
